WALES

Departmental Redundancy

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many civil servants in her Department have been offered voluntary redundancy since April 2010; and if she will make a statement.

David Jones: Civil servants in the Wales Office are employees of either the Ministry of Justice or the Welsh Assembly Government. Both these Departments have advertised voluntary early departure schemes to all staff.

SCOTLAND

Aviation

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with travel companies in Scotland on the likely effect on them of the Government's proposed reforms to the Air Travel Organisers Licensing scheme.

Michael Moore: On 3 February 2011,  Official Report, columns 56-57WS, the Minister of State for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs Villiers), announced the Government's "in principle" decision to reform the Air Travel Organiser's Licensing scheme, with full consultation on the details of the proposed reforms in spring 2011. This will provide an opportunity for Ministers to hear views from travel companies in Scotland and throughout the United Kingdom on the likely effect of proposed reforms.

Human Rights: Scotland

Ann McKechin: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Lord Advocate on the compatibility with human rights legislation of the evidence requirements in Scottish criminal law.

Michael Moore: The Advocate-General for Scotland, my noble and learned Friend, Lord Wallace of Tankerness, has regular discussions with the Lord Advocate on a range of issues, including human rights issues.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Art Works

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many works of art in the Government Art Collection are  (a) on display and  (b) in storage.

Edward Vaizey: The Government Art Collection has 9,161 works of art currently on display. There are 4,444 works of art currently not on display and available for selection and display, of which 405 are awaiting installation at already selected specific venues and 104 are being either restored or reframed.

Arts Council England

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 22 March 2011,  Official Report, column 900W, on Arts Council England: expenditure, on what date he last met the  (a) Chairman and  (b) Chief Executive of Arts Council England.

Jeremy Hunt: I last met the Chair and Chief Executive of Arts Council England to discuss funding decisions on 29 March.

Broadband

Neil Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the availability of superfast broadband in rural areas; and what timetable has been set for increasing such coverage.

Edward Vaizey: Broadband Delivery UK has modelled broadband availability across the UK and provided the information to local government under the wave 2 bidding round for broadband funding. The aim is for the UK to have the best superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015.

Commercials Production Market

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has undertaken any surveys of the composition of the commercials production market.

Edward Vaizey: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) does not hold any data specifically on the composition of the commercials production market, however the DCMS Creative Industries Economic Estimates
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/publications/7634.aspx
	does provide estimates of economic contribution, employment, exports and number of businesses across the creative industries, including the advertising sector.

Departmental Redundancy

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many civil servants in his Department have been offered voluntary redundancy since April 2010; and if he will make a statement.

John Penrose: Since April 2010, 31 officials have been offered voluntary redundancy in the Department.

Olympic Games 2012

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will take steps to engage young people from Lancashire in the London 2012 Olympics.

Hugh Robertson: It is important that children and young people from across the UK are actively encouraged to participate in the wide range of opportunities created by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
	Over 17,000 schools and colleges across the UK have registered for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games' (LOCOG) education programme Get Set, with 286 schools and colleges registered in Lancashire. LOCOG launched the official London 2012 mascots last year, which are now inspiring children and young people. LOCOG hosted a 'Get Set to make your mascot' school competition. The winning primary and secondary schools win a visit from Wenlock or Mandeville in the summer term-ideally to their school sports day.
	Over 1,100 cultural or sporting projects across the UK have been awarded the Inspire mark, with 143 of these in the north-west, such as Supporter to Reporter (S2R). S2R gives young people sports reporting opportunities at national and local events. Participants receive training to produce audio, video, text and image reports with content then published on the youth-led website.
	Young ambassadors is a London 2012 programme managed by Youth Sport Trust which has been running in England, Scotland and Wales, it was the first initiative to receive the London 2012 Inspire mark for education. It involves young people being recruited to be ambassadors, working in their schools and communities to champion sport and the values of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
	The School Games will give every school the opportunity to get involved. Sport England has commissioned the Youth Sport Trust to test how to deliver School Games in nine pilot areas. In June or July 2011, these sites will host the first 'School Games' Days in 500 schools and the first nine 'Festivals of Sport'. All schools will be given the opportunity to participate from September 2011 with the first national finals taking place in the Olympic Stadium in May 2012.
	In addition, I announced the 'Places People Play' programme, which will bring sporting legacy to life in communities across the country. This will be achieved by transforming the places where people play sport, inspiring people to make sport happen at a local level and creating sporting opportunities that give everyone the chance to become part of the mass participation legacy. Further detail can be found at the following link:
	http://www.culture.gov.uk/news/news_stories/7565.aspx

Olympic Games 2012: Diamond Jubilee 2012

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps are being taken to integrate events to mark the diamond jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen with events to mark the London 2012 Olympics.

Hugh Robertson: Celebrations to mark Her Majesty's diamond jubilee will centre around the jubilee weekend in June. We expect diamond jubilee events to take place throughout the year. There will undoubtedly be opportunities for communities to link these with events to mark the Olympics if they wish.

Sports: Finance

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what financial support his Department provides for non-facility-owning sports clubs.

Hugh Robertson: Facility ownership is not a criterion for the receipt of financial support from Sport England. There are a number of programmes non-facility owning clubs can apply for, including coaching programmes, sports equipment and support for expansion of the club. In addition, Sport England will be launching two new programmes shortly that actively encourage clubs to work with other local providers to investigate asset transfer opportunities, so that those clubs may become facility-owners themselves.

Sports: Finance

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will bring forward proposals to simplify the provision of information to sports clubs on making grant applications.

Hugh Robertson: Sport England is committed to improving the accessibility of its funding programmes, not only to sports clubs but the wider voluntary sector.
	Sport England has recently made a number of changes to some of its application forms and will continue to make information clearer wherever possible.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Cycling: Civil Service

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, representing the House of Commons Commission, when the House of Commons Commission expects employees of the House of Commons Service to be able to participate in the Cycle to Work scheme.

John Thurso: Work has begun and implementation is expected to be during the financial year 2011-12.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan: Human Rights

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on Afghan human rights activist Malalai Joya.

Alistair Burt: holding answer 28 March 2011
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has not discussed Malalai Joya with his US counterpart. Malalai Joya visited the UK in October 2008 to discuss human rights with UK Government officials. We continue to remind the Afghan Government to uphold its commitments to protect the human rights of all Afghans.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Politics and Government

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the role of the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Hercegovina.

David Lidington: We continue to give our full support to the Office of the High Representative (OHR) and the High Representative/EU Special Representative Valentin Inzko. The High Representative has a key role as the final authority in theatre for interpreting the General Framework Agreement for Peace (the 'Dayton' Agreement) in respect of civilian implementation of the peace settlement. We support the principle that OHR should transition to an EU-only presence once the conditionality necessary for OHR closure have been met.

Egypt: Aviation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of British nationals who have left Egypt in 2011 on flights organised by other governments.

Alistair Burt: We have co-operated closely with EU and other partners to facilitate the departure of British nationals from Egypt. We do not have an accurate estimate of the number of British nationals that have left Egypt on flights organised by other governments.

Egypt: Aviation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what costs his Department has incurred on chartering aircraft to Egypt in 2011.

Alistair Burt: I refer my hon. Friend to my response to him of 15 February 2011,  Official Report, column 714W.

Indonesia: Overseas Investment

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the  (a) purpose and  (b) outcome was of his Department's meeting with Governor Suebu of Papua at Wilton Park in May 2010.

Jeremy Browne: Governor Suebu was invited to participate in a Wilton Park conference entitled "Indonesia: What role as a contemporary global actor?" on 1-4 March 2010. He was the key speaker at a session on the transition to a low carbon economy in Indonesia. During the session he presented Papua province's own plans for its own low carbon development, which could save up to 1 Gigatonne of carbon emissions. Following his presentation, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials held further conversations with Governor Suebu related to that topic. Since the conference, our embassy in Jakarta has continued to work closely with Papuan officials to develop sustainable macroeconomic land use models for the whole province of Papua. This work is ongoing.

Indonesia: Overseas Investment

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 2 November 2010,  Official Report, column 711W, on West Papua: overseas investment, what contact the UK Ambassador to Indonesia has had with the government of Indonesia on the effects of the Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estates projects on sustainable land use and local communities in West Papua since 2 November 2010.

Jeremy Browne: Our embassy in Jakarta is working closely with Papuan officials to develop sustainable macroeconomic land use models for the whole province of Papua, including Merauke. We have raised the Merauke Integrated Food and Energy Estates (MIFEE) project in that context. Our ambassador also raised these issues with the Government of Indonesia and Papuan political leaders and local government officials in November 2010 ahead of and during a visit to Papua province. We will continue to encourage sustainable land use planning that recognises the importance of local communities in Papua province.

Japan: Aviation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of British nationals who have left Japan since the tsunami on flights organised by other governments.

Jeremy Browne: Commercial flights and flights organised by other governments have been operating since the tsunami. We have cooperated closely with EU and other partners to ensure that British nationals have been given access to seats where they exist. However, it is difficult to estimate the number of British nationals who have taken up this option.

Japan: Aviation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what costs his Department has incurred in chartering aircraft to Japan following the tsunami.

Jeremy Browne: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office secured seats on four flights to Hong Kong for British nationals who were unable to book tickets on commercial flights out of Japan. Given the scale of the unfolding crisis and the unpredictability of demand, this was a sensible precautionary measure to ensure that all British nationals and their families who wished to leave Japan immediately were able to do so.
	981 seats were made available to British nationals on four flights. The approximate cost was £781,500.

Japan: Aviation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) British and  (b) non-British nationals have used recent flights organised by his Department from Japan.

Jeremy Browne: 64 seats were taken up by British nationals. 15 seats were taken up by non British nationals; all of these were dependents of British nationals.

Japan: Aviation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy is on charging  (a) British and  (b) non-British nationals who used recent flights chartered by his Department from Japan.

Jeremy Browne: There was no charge for these flights for British nationals and their dependents who were directly affected by the earthquake and/or tsunami. For British nationals and their dependents who were not directly affected by the earthquake and/or tsunami but wanted to leave Japan and all non-British nationals, there was a charge of £600 per adult, £300 per two-16 year old, and no charge for those passengers under two years of age. This is comparable to commercial flight options.

Japan: British Nationals Abroad

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK nationals resident in Japan have contacted his Department in the last seven days.

Jeremy Browne: As at 27 March 2011, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office had received over 9,000 calls to our missing persons helpline. This figure includes calls from UK residents in Japan. It is not possible to break down where all the callers were located.
	In addition to this, our embassy in Tokyo, reinforced with additional consular staff, has been in close contact with UK nationals from the areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami and others resident elsewhere in Japan.

Japan: Diplomatic Service

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether additional financial resources have been allocated to the British Embassy in Japan following the earthquake in that country.

Jeremy Browne: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office deployed over 50 specialist consular, crisis and Japanese speaking staff to Japan following the earthquake and tsunami to provide consular assistance and help locate British nationals.
	The additional staff reinforced our embassy in Tokyo, including teams at Narita and Haneda international airports. The deployment also included a team of 15 in Sendai and a team of six in Morioka, both in north east Japan to establish 24-hour consular response centres in each place.
	Sufficient resources will continue to be made available to respond appropriately to developments.

Libya: British Nationals Abroad

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many  (a) British and  (b) non-British nationals have been evacuated from Libya on Royal Navy ships to date.

Alistair Burt: In total, four voyages were made to Libya by HMS Cumberland and HMS York evacuating a total of 139 British and 354 non-British nationals.

Libya: Diplomatic Relations

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department  (a) sought and  (b) received legal advice before authorising the diplomatic mission to eastern Libya.

Alistair Burt: holding answer 28 March 2011
	Legal advice is routinely obtained on important matters involving international relations.

Libya: Politics and Government

Douglas Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs at what (a) date and  (b) time the decision was made to convene the COBR meeting which took place on 24 February 2011 at 10.00 am.

William Hague: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 23 March 2011,  Official Report, column 1150W.

Libya: Politics and Government

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contingency plans the Government has proposed in the event that escalation of violence in Libya merits international intervention.

Alistair Burt: The regime's crackdown against protestors' legitimate calls for reform has been totally unacceptable. Our interest throughout has been to protect civilians (both our own nationals and Libyans caught up in the violence) and prevent further bloodshed. UN Security Council resolution 1973 is designed to safeguard Libya's civilian population from human rights abuses carried out by the Libyan forces. After its adoption, the UK made clear that if Colonel Gaddafi did not comply with this resolution, it would be enforced through military action. Colonel Gaddafi's forces continued to advance on Benghazi and kill civilians. Our armed forces have therefore participated in a co-ordinated international coalition strike against key military installations.

Rescue Services

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidance his Department issues to posts overseas on procedures to follow to authorise entry to a country for UK rescue teams which represent a registered charity.

Jeremy Browne: holding answer 24 March 2011
	Deployment of rescue teams is dealt with on a case by case basis, in line with the requirements of the host country.

Yemen: Politics and Government

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will discuss with his counterpart in Yemen the actions of President Ali Abdullah Saleh and the need to avoid disorder and violence in the region.

Alistair Burt: holding answer 28 March 2011
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and I have been deeply concerned by events in Yemen since demonstrations began in mid-January. I have been shocked by the heavy-handedness of the Yemeni security forces, in particular the use of live fire to control demonstrators. In several public statements the Secretary of State and I have encouraged the Government of Yemen to respect the right to peaceful protest and urgently acknowledge the legitimate concerns of protestors. I have also raised my concern directly with the Yemeni Foreign Minister.
	The Government continue to urge all parties in Yemen to conduct constructive political dialogue to establish orderly and peaceful transition. Only through an inclusive and democratic process will stability be established. I am awaiting the outcome of ongoing dialogue, and I hope this will entail agreement to proposals for early parliamentary elections, constitutional changes, a referendum on electoral reform and decentralisation.

Yemen: Politics and Government

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to his counterpart in Yemen on the treatment of anti-government protestors on 18 March 2011.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and I have been deeply concerned by events in Yemen since demonstrations began in mid-January. I have been shocked by the heavy-handedness of the Yemeni security forces, in particular the use of live fire to control demonstrators. In a number of public statements the Secretary of State and I have urged the Government of Yemen to respect the right to peaceful protest and to urgently acknowledge the legitimate concerns of protestors. In a press statement on 18 March 2011 the Secretary of State condemned the violence in Sana'a, called for those responsible to be brought to justice and stressed the Yemeni Government's obligations to uphold the rule of law and its international human rights commitments. I too was appalled by the unacceptable levels of violence in Sana'a and raised my concern directly with the Yemeni Foreign Minister. The Government continue to emphasise to the Government of Yemen the importance of dialogue and the need to avoid undermining ongoing efforts to establish peace and stability.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Dogs

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many dogs have been engaged by each of the armed services in  (a) the UK,  (b) Afghanistan,  (c) Iraq,  (d) Germany and  (e) other overseas locations in each of the last five years; what roles such dogs fulfil; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The number of military working dogs (MWD) in each location fluctuates throughout the year. They are moved between locations to meet the specific needs of the armed forces, such as support to operations and standing commitments. This also ensures that each dog continues to be employed in both the best possible MWD team (handler and dog) combination and environment for each dog's welfare and veterinary needs.
	Information can therefore only be presented as a snapshot in time. As at 28 March 2011, the Army had a total of 229 trained dogs and 138 dogs currently being trained across 17 different locations within the UK and overseas. The Royal Air Force had a total of 212 trained and five being trained across 21 different locations within the UK and overseas. The Royal Navy have no MWDs.
	MWDs fall broadly into two categories: protection and detection. Protection dogs are trained to guard. Detection dogs are trained to search for items and substances (such as drugs, arms, ammunition and explosives) and can also be trained to track or detect human scent.
	I am withholding specific detail on the numbers of MWDs in operational theatres as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of our armed forces.

Armed Forces: Dogs

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many dogs engaged by each armed service have been retired from service in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what provision was made for each such dog after leaving service;
	(2)  what his policy is on the treatment of dogs no longer required in service by the armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: The number of armed forces military working dogs (MWD) that retired from service over the past five years is provided in the following table:
	
		
			   2006  2007  2008  2009  2010 
			 Royal Navy 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Army 8 11 5 20 35 
			 RAF 8 15 9 1 14 
		
	
	These figures are based upon the last site at which the dog served as retirement records do not show which service they were with. The figures do not include dogs within the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency and other guarding organisations. The general principle followed for MWD in service is that without compromise to their health and welfare, the effective working life of all Ministry of Defence (MOD) dogs should be maximised. When a dog reaches the end of its working life the aim is to re-home it with a member of the general public. Primary consideration is given to what is best for the dog and public safety. Following an examination by a veterinarian to document current health status, all routine veterinary treatment is provided prior to leaving service, so that the dog moves to its new home in the best veterinary state. Once re-homed, the dogs are the responsibility of their new owner and no further provision is made for them by the MOD. Dogs are put down only as a last resort.

Departmental Land

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what area of land in  (a) public and  (b) private ownership his Department uses for military purposes in (i) Wales, (ii) England and (iii) Scotland.

Peter Luff: The details of public land in Wales, England and Scotland, and private land in England and Scotland used for military purposes are published in the UK Defence Statistics 2010, chapter six, and can be found at the following link:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/modintranet/UKDS/UKDS2010/c6/intro.php
	A copy of chapter six has been placed in the Library of the House.
	The table contains the majority of the private land used for military training purposes, except where this is negotiated locally. It does not include such land in Wales, where some 503,000 hectares is used for military purposes annually.

HMS Cumberland: HMS Cornwall

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what visits by foreign civil and military dignitaries have been hosted by  (a) HMS Cumberland and  (b) HMS Cornwall in their current deployment.

Nick Harvey: As at 22 March 2011 the foreign civil and military dignitaries hosted by HMS Cumberland and HMS Cornwall during their current deployments are as follows:
	
		
			  HMS Cumberland 
			   Event  Foreign guests 
			 20 October 2010 Official reception on behalf of British consul-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Vice chairman of a manufacturing company, a local businessman and a senior legal adviser 
			 22 November 2010 Formal lunch for defence attachés only during HM Queen state visit to UAE Defence attachés of Netherlands, Australia, United States, France and Germany 
			 9 December 2010 Initial entry into Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) UAE Head of customs and ports and entourage 
			  Formal lunch Ruler of RAK, Crown Prince of RAK and three other senior dignitaries from RAK 
		
	
	
		
			  HMS Cornwall 
			   Event  Foreign guests 
			 2 November 2010 Defence diplomacy reception Diplomatic and military dignitaries from Algeria, France, Egypt, Tunisia and Russia 
			 3 November 2010 Lunch for members of Algerian military attended by HM ambassador and UK defence attaché Four senior Algerian officers 
			 29 November 2010 Change of command ceremony from Turkish to Pakistani for combined task group (CTF)151-HMS Cornwall acting as flagship Turkish and Pakistani military dignitaries. Pakistani commander and staff have remained onboard as command platform 
			 19 December 2010 Counter piracy meeting Spanish commander of command task group 465 (Op Atalanta) 
			 24 January 2011 Presentation on piracy by commander CTF 151 and CO HMS Cornwall Japanese anti-piracy task force commander and two Japanese commanding officers. 
			 25-27 February 2011 Preparation for handover of command of CTF 151 Senior Singaporean naval officer and delegation onboard for three days in advance of command handover

Merville Barracks

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what provision was made in the design of Merville Barracks, Colchester to allow for the construction of additional blocks of single person accommodation; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how much additional single accommodation would be required at Merville Barracks, Colchester to accommodate all those currently living in private sector housing rented by his Department.

Gerald Howarth: holding answer 28 March 2011
	As at 25 February 2011, a further 559 bedspaces would be required at Merville Barracks, Colchester in order to accommodate all those currently living in private sector housing (substitute single service accommodation).
	The Colchester private finance initiative master plan included space for eight additional junior ranks single living accommodation (SLA) blocks; however, during construction, it was decided to increase the number of SLA blocks being constructed by four, giving a total of a further 276 bedspaces. There remains a further four sites available for development.

TREASURY

Commodity Markets

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has held with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on the effect on economic forecasting of the operation of food and agricultural commodity markets.

Justine Greening: The Treasury maintains regular contact with the OECD on a wide range of economic matters.

Debts: Developing Countries

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2010,  Official Report, column 471W, on debts: developing countries, what criteria he plans to use to determine whether to extend the Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Act 2010.

Mark Hoban: The Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Bill received Royal Assent on 8 April 2010 and the Act came into force on 8 June 2010. The legislation means that UK courts of law can no longer be used to pursue excessive claims against some of the poorest countries on their historic debts, ensuring that resources are available to tackle poverty.
	The sunset clause attached to this legislation means that the law will expire on 7 June 2011. The Government have reviewed the impact of the Debt Relief (Developing Countries) Act 2010. Evidence suggests that the Act has had some benefit on heavily indebted poor countries and no evidence has been found of unintended adverse effects.
	The Government have therefore decided to make the Act permanent. Full details will be provided in the Explanatory Memorandum accompanying the draft Order, which will be laid before Parliament shortly.

Departmental Redundancy

Simon Kirby: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants in his Department have been offered voluntary redundancy since April 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Justine Greening: Within HM Treasury, voluntary redundancy applies when a group or team is restructured or when work ceases to exist and staff are in a displaced situation. Staff may be offered voluntary redundancy if they are not redeployed within HM Treasury or another Government Department.
	No staff have been offered voluntary redundancy since April 2010.

Devolution

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much he plans to allocate to  (a) the Scottish Executive,  (b) the Welsh Assembly Government and  (c) the Northern Ireland Executive in (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13, (iii) 2013-14, (iv) 2014-15 and (v) 2015-16 as a result of the measures announced in the 2011 Budget.

Danny Alexander: The DEL increases in the budgets of the Scottish Government, Welsh Assembly Government and Northern Ireland Executive for the next five years are respectively:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2011-12  2012-13  2013-14  2014-15  2015-16 
			 SG 58 23 1 6 1 
			 WAG 33 13 4 3 4 
			 NIE 20 8 2 2 2

Motability

Richard Fuller: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward fiscal measures to support the  (a) operating costs and  (b) fuel costs of cars under the Motability scheme.

Justine Greening: The £1.9 billion Budget 2011 package offers support to all motorists including the drivers of cars operated under the independent Motability scheme.
	Budget 2011 abolishes the previous Administration's fuel duty escalator and replaces it with a fair fuel stabiliser, cuts fuel duty by 1p per litre and defers the 2011-12 inflation-only increase to January 2012.

Public Expenditure

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the answer to the right hon. Member for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford of 15 July 1999,  Official Report, columns 328-30W, on the Treasury, if he will use the method applied to the production of that answer to estimate  (a) the likely effect of the June 2010 Budget and  (b) the likely effects of the measures in the June 2010 Budget and the Comprehensive Spending Review on the income of (i) men and (ii) women.

David Gauke: holding answer 16 March 2011
	The Budget is an overall statement of economic policy, containing a whole range of measures, from consultations to tax changes. We cannot make a robust assessment of the overall impact of the Budget on specific groups.
	The tax and benefit system is complex-there are many interactions between benefits and taxes. A reduction in benefit paid to one member of a household may be offset by an increase to another.
	Sharing of resources within the household will mean that although a benefit is received by a particular person in the household, the full impact does not fall on that person. Taking account of how income is shared within households is very difficult, as data and research in this area is sparse.
	Instead, Departments consider the equality impact of their policies as they are developed and implemented. See for instance the Welfare Reform Bill 2011 Equality Impact Assessments published by the Department for Work and Pensions.
	Throughout the spending review process, HM Treasury has looked closely at the impact that decisions may have on different groups in society and published an "Overview of the Equalities Impacts of the Spending Review" on 20 October alongside the spending review announcements.

Public Expenditure

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer from which measures in Budget 2011 consequential allocations through the Barnett formula are to be made to  (a) Scotland,  (b) Wales and  (c) Northern Ireland.

Danny Alexander: The Chancellor's Budget announced on 23 March 2011, included Barnett consequentials in respect of spending on apprenticeships, university technical colleges, FirstBuy housing programme, Enterprise Zones rate relief, small business rates relief, local government capitalisation. In addition in Northern Ireland there were consequentials in respect of changes in DWP spending.

Public Expenditure

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much he plans to allocate to the Scottish Executive under the Barnett formula in respect of each item from which consequential allocations arise in  (a) 2011-12,  (b) 2012-13,  (c) 2013-14,  (d) 2014-15 and  (e) 2015-16.

Danny Alexander: The spending review provided:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2011-12  2012-13  2013-14  2015-16 
			 Resource 24,794 25,100 25,310 25,419 
			 Capital 2,507 2,475 2,237 2,318 
		
	
	The Budget provided the following additional amounts of:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2011-12  2012-13  2013-14  2015-16 
			 Resource 25 23 7 6 
			 Capital 33 0 0 0 
		
	
	It is for the Scottish Government to allocate its funding as it sees fit to local needs and priorities.

Public Expenditure

Tom Greatrex: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what years the Scottish Executive will be able to claim the sums underspent in previous years identified in the 2011 Budget; and whether any restrictions are to apply to the use of such sums.

Danny Alexander: The Government cancelled previous EYF system abolishing existing stocks. In 2010-11 the Government allowed the Scottish Government to drawdown £296 million of EYF. The Scottish Government have also been allowed to carry forward £130 million planned under-spend from 2010-11 to 2011-12.
	This arrangement is unique to the devolved administrations and is not available to UK Government Departments.

Public Expenditure: Wales

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the oral answer from the Prime Minister of 16 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 299-300, on law-making powers in Wales, what the statistical basis is for the forecast difference in spending.

Danny Alexander: Public spending per head in Wales was 12% higher than in England in 2009-10. In the spending review the Government announced that the Welsh Assembly Government's resource DEL budget will reduce by 7.5% in real terms by 2014-15 compared to a reduction of 8.3% across the UK.

Tax Avoidance

Chris Bryant: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether he has made an estimate of  (a) the number of British-based companies which use tax avoidance schemes in Jersey and  (b) the amount of taxation avoided through use of such schemes per year;
	(2)  if he will take steps to restrict the ability of British-based companies to use tax avoidance schemes based in the Channel Islands.

David Gauke: No estimate has been made of the number of British-based companies which use tax avoidance schemes in Jersey. HMRC's estimates do not distinguish according to the different jurisdictions through which a scheme or arrangement may operate.
	This Government are tackling avoidance and at Budget we set out our plan to implement a new strategic approach to tackling avoidance including HMRC's new anti-avoidance strategy and action to strengthen tax legislation.
	The Budget also announced a range of specific measures to tackle avoidance, including a reduction in the VAT-free threshold for goods imported from outside the EU from £18 to £15. A commitment was also given at Budget to explore options with the European Commission to limit the scope of the relief.
	This will reduce the attraction for UK businesses to locate outside the EU.

Tax Credit: Video Games

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has made an assessment of the effects of tax credit changes in the 2011 Budget on the video games industry.

David Gauke: The Budget announced reforms to the research and development (R&D) tax credit schemes, including an increase in the rate of SME R&D tax relief to 200% from April 2011, and then an increase to 225% from April 2012.
	These changes will benefit innovative companies undertaking qualifying R&D activity in all sectors of the economy, including the video games industry.

Taxation

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the potential costs to the public purse of merging income tax and national insurance.

David Gauke: The Government believe that integrating the operation of income tax and national insurance contributions (NICs) can remove distortions, reduce burdens on business and improve fairness. However, it recognises that any change will be complex and involve a wide range of policy and implementation issues.
	The Government will publish an initial consultation document later this year to consult on the options, stages and timing of reform.

Taxation: Coastal Areas

Philip Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from arcades in seaside locations on the likely effects of the introduction of a machine gaming duty to replace the amusement machine licence duty and value added tax; and if he will make a statement.

Justine Greening: Treasury Ministers and officials meet with, and receive representations from, a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors as part of the usual policymaking process. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such representations.

Taxation: Pensioners

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the taxation of employer-financed retirement benefit schemes.

David Gauke: New and extensive use of employer financed retirement benefit schemes (EFRBS) to provide retirement benefits would create significant risk around the yield projected from the restriction of pensions' tax relief that is due to take effect from the 2011-12 tax year onwards. This would not be in keeping with the principle of creating a more affordable pensions tax regime. The Government are therefore introducing legislation in the Finance Bill 2011 to ensure that EFRBS are not more tax advantaged than for pension savings into registered pension schemes beyond the annual and lifetime allowances.

Taxation: Pensioners

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the revenue that would accrue to the Exchequer if contributions to employer-financed retirement benefit schemes were subject to taxation at the rate of 50 per cent. in each of the next four years.

David Gauke: It is estimated that a 50% tax charge on contributions to employer financed retirement benefit schemes (EFRBS) would yield around £40 million per year.
	At Budget 2011, a measure was introduced to prevent tax avoidance through 'disguised remuneration', which includes the use of EFRBS. It will work by subjecting earmarking by EFRBS of sums and assets paid to them as contributions to tax and national insurance in the same way as cash remuneration. Importantly, the measure is expected to protect future tax revenues, by closing off opportunities to avoid restrictions to tax relief on pension contributions to registered pension schemes through the use of EFRBS.
	Further information on how the Exchequer yield was estimated for the disguised remuneration measure, including estimates of current losses and behavioural responses, can be found in the Budget 2011 policy costings document (page 46) at:
	http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/2011budget_policycostings.pdf

Treasury Select Committee: Revenue and Customs

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the job title is of each member of staff of HM Revenue and Customs who attended the meeting of the Treasury Sub-Committee on 16 March 2011 other than as witnesses.

David Gauke: HMRC does not have a record of the staff who attended the hearing.

Treasury Select Committee: Revenue and Customs

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether staff of HM Revenue and Customs are entitled to claim overtime for attendance at Treasury Select Committee hearings after 5.30pm.

David Gauke: HMRC staff are not entitled to claim overtime for attendance at Treasury Select Committee hearings.

Treasury Select Committee: Revenue and Customs

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much time in staff hours HM Revenue and Customs spent in preparing for Treasury Select Committee hearings in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Gauke: HMRC does not have a record of this information.

Urenco

Luciana Berger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what arrangements he plans to make for the sale of the UK shareholding in Urenco; what estimate he has made of the potential proceeds from the sale; by what date he plans to issue a prospectus; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether any  (a) individual,  (b) organisation and  (c) state will not be invited to purchase those shares in Urenco held by the UK;
	(3)  what meetings  (a) he,  (b) Ministers in his Department and  (c) officials in his Department have held with trade unions representing UK nationals employed by Urenco; and what steps have been taken to inform UK-based employees of Urenco of the decision to sell the UK's shareholding;
	(4)  what account he has taken of the review of the UK nuclear energy programme in assessing the potential market for shares in Urenco.

Charles Hendry: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government are currently undertaking a full analysis of its options with regard to the UK's stake in Urenco and no final decisions have yet been made.
	The Government do not give out information on expected proceeds from individual asset sales. To do so would prejudice the Government's commercial position in ongoing and future sale processes. However, any change in the present ownership arrangements will be subject to securing value for money for the tax payer as well as meeting non-proliferation and other policy objectives.
	The UK remains fully committed to upholding nuclear non-proliferation, safety and security principles. Should we decide to proceed with a sale, any restrictions on potential purchasers of shares in the company would be dependent on our assessment of the risk posed to our non-proliferation and other policy interests.
	Neither Ministers or officials have had any discussions with the UK-based employees of Urenco or their trade union representatives on the implications of a potential sale. Any such discussions would be premature at this stage and would in any case be for the company's management to undertake.
	Urenco provides enrichment services to civil nuclear utilities worldwide and the provision to customers in the UK represents only a very small proportion of its business. The Government's review of the UK's nuclear strategy is expected to have little, if any, impact on Urenco's business.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Asylum: East of England

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department has paid to each local authority in the East of England in respect of asylum seeker support in each year since 1997.

Damian Green: Payments to local authorities in the East of England in respect of asylum seeker support for the financial year between 2002-03 and 2009-10 are given in the following table. Data for previous years is not available at the required level of analysis and it would incur disproportionate cost to provide the information for the years before 2002-03.
	
		
			  Payments to local authorities in the East of England 
			  £000 
			   2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Bedfordshire County Council 1,309.5 749.5 201.5 251.7 338.5 616.9 966.1 1,143.8 
			 Cambridgeshire County Council 1,350.0 922.1 652.2 1,067.7 1,121.3 988.2 2,254.5 1,696.5 
			 Essex County Council 1,815.2 1,980.1 1,272.2 1,760.4 1,530.2 1,319.5 1,685.5 1,325.6 
			 Hertfordshire County Council 3,654.2 2,470.6 1,994.7 1,048.4 966.3 1,061.4 1,376.6 2,667.3 
			 Luton Borough Council 3,341.3 3,256.2 2,242.8 1,265.6 332.6 494.1 388.9 276.5 
			 Norfolk County Council 929.8 946.2 413.2 650.3 399.0 409.8 397.9 617.6 
			 Peterborough City Council 933.9 860.2 28.6 427.0 157.2 131.5 90.4 91.1 
			 Southend on Sea Borough Council 2,035.2 1,776.7 906.2 534.3 274.7 191.1 120.4 125.1 
			 Suffolk County Council 357.1 347.1 236.6 268.3 177.2 444.6 1,240.7 1,395.1 
			 Thurrock Council 3,175.5 3,018.7 1,809.4 934.9 511.6 464.8 793.2 733.1 
			 Total 18,901.7 16,327.4 9,757.4 8,208.6 5,808.6 6,121.9 9,314.2 10,071.7 
			  Note: These figures include payments to local authorities in Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire. They have been taken from the audited accounts of the Home Office (or the UK Border Agency from 2009-10).

Asylum: Finance

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department paid to  (a) the Refugee Council,  (b) the Scottish Refugee Council,  (c) the Welsh Refugee Council,  (d) Refugee Action and  (e) Migrant Helpline in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: The amount paid to these organisations is detailed in the following table.
	
		
			  Funding to voluntary sector bodies 2005-10 
			  £ million 
			   2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Refugee Council 16.8 14.3 10.7 11.2 13.7 
			 Scottish Refugee Council 1.9 1.5 1.5 1.9 2.2 
			 Welsh Refugee Council 1.2 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.7 
			 Refugee Action 12.2 5.7 4.6 4.6 5.7 
			 Migrant Helpline 20.6 13.1 9.7 2.7 1.8 
			  Note: These figures are taken from the audited accounts of the Home Office or (for 2009-10 only) of the UK Border Agency.

Asylum: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers living in Greater London  (a) returned voluntarily and  (b) were deported to their country of origin in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: The data you have requested are shown in Table 1 as follows:
	
		
			  Table 1: Failed asylum seekers, excluding dependents, residing in the Government Office London area, returned to their country of origin, 2006 - 10 
			   (a) Voluntary departure  (b) Enforced removal  Total 
			 2006 2,113 2,662 4,775 
			 2007 2,039 1,751 3,790 
			 2008 1,951 1,435 3,386 
			 2009 1,503 1,382 2,885 
			 2010 1,427 1,469 2,896 
			 Total 9,033 8,699 17,732 
			  Note: All figures quoted are internal management information only and are subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols.

Birds of Prey: Conservation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of illegal killing of birds of prey have been investigated by the police in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not collect information on police investigations.
	In addition, offences of illegally killing birds of prey are summary offences and are not included in the police recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office.

Borders: Personal Records

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of passenger name record data her Department expects to capture from passenger movements by December 2013.

Damian Green: We are currently collecting passenger name record (PNR) data for 11.4% of total air passenger movements.
	No timescales have yet been decided for increasing the volume of PNR data being collected and there are no targets specifically for collection by December 2013.

Departmental Cycling

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employees in her Department are participating in the Cycle to Work scheme.

Damian Green: The Home Office Cycle to Work scheme was launched in Home Office HQ and the UK Border Agency (UKBA) on 9 October 2009; in the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) on 1 April 2010; and in the Identity and Passport Service (IPS) on 19 April 2010.
	Since implementation a total of 413 staff have signed up to the scheme, comprising:
	From Home Office HQ and UKBA-326
	From IPS-70
	From CRB-17.

Domestic Violence: Immigrants

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women who apply for indefinite leave to remain as a result of alleged domestic violence had their applications refused in the latest period for which figures are available; what the grounds were for such refusals; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: Figures for the latest period, January 2011, show that 101 people (not gender specific) applied for indefinite leave to remain as a result of alleged domestic violence and of these cases 95 have been decided. 12 of those considered were refusals, nine cases were refused on the basis that it was not accepted that domestic violence had taken place and three cases were refused on other grounds(1).
	(1) The information has been provided from local management information and is not a National Statistic. As such it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.

Domestic Violence: Immigrants

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of applications for indefinite leave to remain made by women accepted on to the Sojourner Project are determined within the 20-day limit; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: Figures(1) for the latest period, January 2011, indicate that 49% of applications for indefinite leave to remain as a victim of domestic abuse were made by applicants accepted on to the Sojourner Project. Of these applications 80% were determined within the 20 day target.
	(1) The information has been provided from local management information and is not a National Statistic. As such it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.

Drugs: Working Hours

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate her Department has made of the number of working days lost due to the effects of hard drug usage in each of the last five years.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not currently record this information and no estimates have been made.

Drugs: Misuse

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her policy is on measures to make illegal the  (a) distribution and  (b) sale of legal highs which are harmful to human health.

James Brokenshire: The Government take the issue of synthetic drugs, including new psychoactive substances (so called 'legal highs') very seriously.
	On 23 July 2010, naphyrone became a controlled class B drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. 2-DPMP, a psychoactive ingredient found in samples of some 'Ivory Wave' branded products, was banned under the Open General Import Licence on 4 November 2010.
	On 30 November 2010, we introduced legislative proposals in the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill, to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 with provisions for temporary banning powers on new 'legal highs'. Our proposals aim to protect the public from the harms of these drugs; enable law enforcement partners to target suppliers and manufacturers; give the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) the time to provide full advice, and send a clear public health message about the harms of these drugs.
	On 1 January 2011, the Home Office launched a three-month pilot to explore improvements to the current forensic early warning system for identifying new and emerging drugs. As part of this pilot, we are introducing new forensic technology at the borders to support UK Border Agency with the identification of any new drug being imported into the UK.
	On 2 February, I wrote to the ACMD to set out the Government's priorities for 2011-12. These include requesting the ACMD's advice on our future direction in tackling supply, markets and demand with a view to protecting the public. This letter is published at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/alcohol-drugs/drugs/response-acmd-mdma-ecstasy?view=Standard &pubID=857089

Entry Clearances

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department from which countries in Europe nationals require a visa to enter the UK.

Damian Green: All nationalities, except European economic area (EEA) nationalities require a visa to work or study in the UK.
	All EEA nationals (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Irish Republic, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) are entitled to free movement and do not require visas or other permission to enter, work or study in the UK.
	Nationals from Albania, Belarus, Bosnia Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine and Russia all require a visa to enter the UK. For further information please see the following link:
	http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to ask the Migration Advisory Committee to conduct an assessment of the potential effects on the economy of her proposed reforms to the student immigration route.

Damian Green: The Secretary of State for the Home Department announced the Government's plans to reform the student immigration system on 22 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 855-72. We have no plans to ask the Migration Advisory Committee to assess the potential effects on the economy. An impact assessment will be published in due course.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the oral statement of 22 March 2011,  Official Report, on student visas, what her definition is of a graduate-level job; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: holding answer 28 March 2011
	The independent Migration Advisory Committee recommended a list of graduate-level occupations, which has been accepted by the Government. The list is as follows:
	 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code Occupation
	1111 Senior officials in national government
	1112 Directors and chief executives of major organisations
	1113 Senior officials in local government
	1114 Senior officials of special interest organisations
	1121 Production, works and maintenance managers
	122 Managers in construction
	1123 Managers in mining and energy
	1131 Financial managers and chartered secretaries
	1132 Marketing and sales managers
	1133 Purchasing managers
	1134 Advertising and public relations managers
	1135 Personnel, training and industrial relations managers
	1136 Information and communication technology managers
	1137 Research and development managers
	1141 Quality assurance managers
	1142 Customer care managers
	1151 Financial institution managers
	1152 Office managers
	1161 Transport and distribution managers
	1171 Officers in armed forces
	1172 Police officers (inspectors and above)
	1173 Senior officers in fire, ambulance, prison and related services
	1174 Security managers
	1181 Hospital and health service managers
	1182 Pharmacy managers
	1183 Healthcare practice managers
	1184 Social services managers
	1185 Residential and day care managers
	1212 Natural environment and conservation managers
	1219 Managers in animal husbandry, forestry and fishing not elsewhere classified
	1222 Conference and exhibition managers
	1231 Property, housing and land managers
	1235 Recycling and refuse disposal managers
	1239 Managers and proprietors in other services not elsewhere classified
	2111 Chemists
	2112 Biological scientists and biochemists
	2113 Physicists, geologists and meteorologists
	2121 Civil engineers
	2122 Mechanical engineers
	2123 Electrical engineers
	2124 Electronics engineers
	2125 Chemical engineers
	2126 Design and development engineers
	2127 Production and process engineers
	2128 Planning and quality control engineers
	2129 Engineering professionals not elsewhere classified
	2131 IT strategy and planning professionals
	2132 Software professionals
	2211 Medical practitioners
	2212 Psychologists
	2213 Pharmacists/pharmacologists
	2214 Ophthalmic opticians
	2215 Dental practitioners
	2216 Veterinarians
	2311 Higher education teaching professionals
	2312 Further education teaching professionals
	2313 Education officers, school inspectors
	2314 Secondary education teaching professionals
	2315 Primary and nursery education teaching professionals
	2316 Special needs education teaching professionals
	2317 Registrars and senior administrators of educational establishments
	2319 Teaching professionals not elsewhere classified
	2321 Scientific researchers
	2322 Social science researchers
	2329 Researchers not elsewhere classified
	2411 Solicitors and lawyers, judges and coroners
	2419 Legal professionals not elsewhere classified
	2421 Chartered and certified accountants
	2422 Management accountants
	2423 Management consultants, actuaries, economists and statisticians
	2431 Architects
	2432 Town planners
	2433 Quantity surveyors
	2434 Chartered surveyors (not quantity surveyors)
	2441 Public service administrative professionals
	2442 Social workers
	2443 Probation officers
	2444 Clergy
	2451 Librarians
	2452 Archivists and curators
	3121 Architectural technologists and town planning technicians
	3123 Building inspectors
	3131 IT operations technicians
	3211 Nurses
	3212 Midwives
	3213 Paramedics
	3214 Medical radiographers
	3215 Chiropodists
	3218 Medical and dental technicians
	3221 Physiotherapists
	3222 Occupational therapists
	3223 Speech and language therapists
	3229 Therapists not elsewhere classified
	3319 Protective service associate professionals not elsewhere classified
	3411 Artists
	3412 Authors, writers
	3413 Actors, entertainers
	3414 Dancers and choreographers
	3415 Musicians
	3416 Arts officers, producers and directors
	3422 Product, clothing and related designers
	3431 Journalists, newspaper and periodical editors
	3432 Broadcasting associate professionals
	3433 Public relations officers
	3512 Aircraft pilots and flight engineers
	3513 Ship and hovercraft officers
	3531 Estimators, valuers and assessors
	3532 Brokers
	3534 Finance and investment analysts/advisers
	3535 Taxation experts
	3537 Financial and accounting technicians
	3539 Business and related associate professionals not elsewhere classified
	3541 Buyers and purchasing officers
	3543 Marketing associate professionals
	3551 Conservation and environmental protection officers
	3561 Public service associate professionals
	3564 Careers advisers and vocational guidance specialists
	3565 Inspectors of factories, utilities and trading standards
	3566 Statutory examiners
	3567 Occupational hygienists and safety officers (health and safety)
	3568 Environmental health officers
	This list is published in a Statement of Intent on the UK Border Agency website at:
	www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/documents/aboutus/reports/soi-tier2/

Human Trafficking: EU Law

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many representations she has received in support of the UK opting into the European directive on human trafficking.

Damian Green: The Government have received several hundred representations on whether it should apply to opt in to the EU directive on human trafficking.

Human Trafficking: EU Law

Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to announce a decision on the implementation of the EU Directive on human trafficking.

Damian Green: The Government decided not to opt in to the European Directive on human trafficking at the outset, but to review its position in line with the revised text. That process is now complete and I have written to the Parliamentary Scrutiny Committees notifying them of our intention to apply to opt in.
	A final decision remains subject to parliamentary scrutiny.

Immigration Controls

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what method her Department used to calculate the immigration cap figure of 21,700.

Damian Green: holding answer 24 March 2011
	 The Migration Advisory Committee recommended an upper annual limit of 43,700, including intra-company transfers (ICTs). The Government have exempted ICTs from the annual limit, and has therefore subtracted the number of ICT visas in 2009 (22,000) from the Committee's recommended figure.

Knives: Crime

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were  (a) injured and  (b) killed as a result of knife crime offences in each police force area in England and Wales in each year since 1997.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office has collected data on selected offences involving the use of a knife or sharp instrument via a special additional data collection since April 2007. Data are collected for the following offence categories: attempted murder, threats to kill, actual bodily harm (ABH) and grievous bodily harm (GBH), robbery, rape and sexual assaults. The collection does not include data on whether or not an injury was sustained, though the ABH and GBH categories may be of most relevance to the question.
	The data for ABH and GBH offences involving a knife or a sharp instrument for 2008-09 and 2009-10 are provided in table A. These data were published in tables 7.13 and 7.14 of 'Crime in England and Wales 2009/10' via the following link:
	http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/hosb1210chap7.xls
	Data for 2007-08 are not comparable to those for subsequent years for a number of reasons. Firstly, in 2007-08, the offences that were included in the knife and sharp instrument collection were: attempted murder, GBH with intent, GBH without intent and robbery. In 2008-09, this was expanded to also include: threats to kill, ABH, sexual assault and rape.
	Secondly, there was a clarification in the counting rules for GBH with intent between 2007-08 and 2008-09. Some forces were classifying on injury sustained rather than intent. However, this does not affect the totals presented in the answer, as both GBH with intent and GBH without intent are included in both years.
	Finally, a 2009 audit of how bottle and glass offences are recorded in the knife and sharp instrument data collection identified that some forces were including unbroken bottle and glass offences in their returns, which are outside the scope of this collection. The offence most affected was ABH. Some forces resubmitted data for 2008-09 and these revised figures are included in the answer. However, four forces were unable to provide figures that separate out the unbroken bottle and glass offences, and a number of unbroken bottle and glass offences are included.
	Revised data were not requested for 2007-08, as ABH was not collected for this time period. Robbery and attempted murder offences are rarely carried out with unbroken bottles, so are largely unaffected.
	Data for 2007-08 are provided in table B and are also available in table 7.11 of 'Crime in England and Wales 2008/09' via the following link:
	http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs09/hosb1109chap7new.xls
	Data for homicides involving the use of a knife or sharp instrument are collected via the Homicide Index. These are provided in table C.
	
		
			  Table A: ABH and GBH( 1)  offences involving the use of a knife or sharp instrument recorded by the police, 2008-09 to 2009-10 
			  England and Wales, recorded crime (number) 
			  Police force area, England and Wales( 2)  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Cleveland 141 161 
			 Durham 110 77 
			 Northumbria 322 275 
			  North East region 573 513 
			
			 Cheshire 189 163 
			 Cumbria 60 67 
			 Greater Manchester 1,128 979 
			 Lancashire 546 416 
			 Merseyside 431 388 
			  North West region 2,354 2,013 
			
			 Humberside 238 219 
			 North Yorkshire 163 154 
			 South Yorkshire 374 290 
			 West Yorkshire 597 645 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber region 1,372 1,308 
			
			 Derbyshire 177 166 
			 Leicestershire 230 177 
			 Lincolnshire 96 96 
			 Northamptonshire 190 149 
			 Nottinghamshire 400 301 
			  East Midlands region 1,093 889 
			
			 Staffordshire 305 261 
			 Warwickshire 136 100 
			 West Mercia 207 175 
			 West Midlands 1,719 1,563 
			  West Midlands region 2,367 2,099 
			
			 Bedfordshire 194 205 
			 Cambridgeshire 227 178 
			 Essex 339 358 
			 Hertfordshire 54 45 
			 Norfolk 75 136 
			 Suffolk 131 100 
			  East of England region 1,020 1,022 
			
			 London, City of 16 5 
			 Metropolitan Police 4,728 4,781 
			  London region 4,744 4,786 
			
			 Hampshire 364 371 
			 Kent 339 221 
			 Surrey 87 27 
			 Sussex 510 450 
			 Thames Valley 570 632 
			  South East region 1,870 1,701 
			
			 Avon and Somerset 496 397 
			 Devon and Cornwall 266 293 
			 Dorset 127 108 
			 Gloucestershire 98 95 
			 Wiltshire 116 109 
			  South West region 1,103 1,002 
			
			 England 16,496 15,333 
			 Dyfed-Powys 71 43 
			 Gwent 88 102 
			 North Wales 98 71 
			 South Wales 327 266 
			  Wales 584 482 
			
			 British Transport Police 102 49 
			
			 England and Wales 17,182 15,864 
			 (1) Includes racially or religiously aggravated wounding or inflicting GBH. (2) Four police forces include unbroken bottle and glass offences in their returns, which are outside the scope of this special collection. As such, data for these forces are not directly comparable to data for other forces. The four forces are: West Midlands, Surrey, Sussex and the British Transport Police. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: GBH offences involving the use of a knife or sharp instrument recorded by the police, 2007-08( 1) 
			  England an d Wales, recorded crime (number ) 
			   2007-08 
			  Police force area, England and Wales( 2)  Total GBH  Wounding with intent to do GBH  Wounding or inflicting GBH without intent( 3) 
			 Cleveland 93 76 17 
			 Durham 61 53 8 
			 Northumbria 204 140 64 
			  North East region 358 269 89 
			 
			 Cheshire 90 64 26 
			 Cumbria 55 20 35 
			 Greater Manchester 595 467 128 
			 Lancashire 184 138 46 
			 Merseyside 364 312 52 
			  North West region 1,288 1,001 287 
			 
			 Humberside 89 55 34 
			 North Yorkshire 25 21 4 
			 South Yorkshire 154 111 43 
			 West Yorkshire 381 306 75 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber region 649 493 156 
			 
			 Derbyshire 87 55 32 
			 Leicestershire 124 99 25 
			 Lincolnshire 38 29 9 
			 Northamptonshire 93 83 10 
			 Nottinghamshire 149 122 27 
			  East Midlands region 491 388 103 
			 
			 Staffordshire 109 34 75 
			 Warwickshire 55 41 14 
			 West Mercia 63 43 20 
			 West Midlands 931 561 370 
			  West Midlands region 1,158 679 479 
			 
			 Bedfordshire 81 67 14 
			 Cambridgeshire 37 21 16 
			 Essex 99 89 10 
			 Hertfordshire 81 46 35 
			 Norfolk 35 22 13 
			 Suffolk 75 33 42 
			  East of England region 408 278 130 
			 
			 London, City of 5 3 2 
			 Metropolitan Police 1,945 1,002 943 
			  London region 1,950 1,005 945 
			 
			 Hampshire 196 88 108 
			 Kent 126 94 32 
			 Surrey 43 25 18 
			 Sussex 146 62 84 
			 Thames Valley 148 88 60 
			  South East region 659 357 302 
			 
			 Avon and Somerset 112 85 27 
			 Devon and Cornwall 172 127 45 
			 Dorset 31 20 11 
			 Gloucestershire 19 15 4 
			 Wiltshire 60 43 17 
			  South West region 394 290 104 
			 
			 England 7,355 4,760 2595 
			 
			 Dyfed-Powys 62 31 31 
			 Gwent 87 79 8 
			 North Wales 81 56 25 
			 South Wales 379 333 46 
			  Wales 609 499 110 
			 
			 British Transport Police 12 11 1 
			 
			 England and Wales 7,976 5,270 2706 
			 (1) Table revised 21 January 2010. (2) A number of police forces included unbroken bottle and glass offences in their returns, which are outside the scope of this special collection. As such, data are not comparable between forces. (3) Includes racially or religiously aggravated wounding or inflicting GBH. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table C : Offences currently( 1)  recorded as homicide involving the use of a knife or sharp instrument, 1997-98 to 2009-10 
			  England and Wales, Recorded crime (number) 
			  Police force area, England and Wales  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			   
			 Cleveland 1 1 3 5 3 2 3 3 3 3 4 1 4 
			 Durham 3 2 0 1 2 3 0 2 3 4 0 1 1 
			 Northumbria 11 5 9 5 4 8 8 6 7 10 14 10 4 
			  North East region 15 8 12 11 9 13 11 11 13 17 18 12 9 
			   
			 Cheshire 3 3 0 0 3 2 4 2 7 4 2 5 1 
			 Cumbria 3 1 5 3 1 2 1 1 0 0 3 2 0 
			 Greater Manchester 16 14 10 14 23 19 17 16 11 14 15 18 11 
			 Lancashire 6 2 1 15 4 10 12 11 1 4 13 6 10 
			 Merseyside 8 11 6 14 3 12 10 14 10 10 9 11 8 
			  North West region 36 31 22 46 34 45 44 44 29 32 42 42 30 
			   
			 Humberside 2 2 2 2 3 5 8 3 1 7 6 3 5 
			 North Yorkshire 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 2 0 0 0 2 
			 South Yorkshire 2 3 4 4 6 7 2 7 6 3 8 6 2 
			 West Yorkshire 12 12 6 8 11 13 7 13 11 12 13 15 12 
			  Yorkshire and the Humber region 17 17 13 14 20 25 18 26 20 22 27 24 21 
			   
			 Derbyshire 2 1 2 1 4 2 3 2 3 3 1 2 0 
			 Leicestershire 1 1 0 4 2 4 9 3 3 5 3 4 5 
			 Lincolnshire 0 1 2 0 1 2 2 0 0 3 3 2 2 
			 Northamptonshire 2 2 1 3 3 5 1 0 6 5 4 2 1 
			 Nottinghamshire 3 6 5 4 6 3 6 6 7 7 3 7 6 
			  East Midlands region 8 11 10 12 16 16 21 11 19 23 14 17 14 
			   
			 Staffordshire 4 4 2 0 1 0 3 3 2 5 2 3 3 
			 Warwickshire 0 2 1 0 1 2 2 3 1 5 2 1 1 
			 West Mercia 3 3 1 3 5 2 5 3 0 3 1 2 4 
			 West Midlands 4 16 15 9 19 17 22 21 22 15 15 24 9 
			  West Midlands region 11 25 19 12 26 21 32 30 25 28 20 30 17 
			   
			 Bedfordshire 3 2 1 2 7 1 1 4 3 3 3 4 2 
			 Cambridgeshire 1 1 4 0 1 2 5 2 2 2 4 0 2 
			 Essex 1 5 9 2 10 7 5 0 6 9 3 5 3 
			 Hertfordshire 2 1 5 4 3 4 4 5 3 6 3 3 3 
			 Norfolk 0 5 2 4 1 0 3 1 1 3 3 2 4 
			 Suffolk 0 0 0 3 2 0 2 2 3 2 2 0 4 
			  East of England region 7 14 21 15 24 14 20 14 18 25 18 14 18 
			   
			 London, City of 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Metropolitan Police 62 52 68 69 68 68 62 64 63 72 79 76 50 
			  London region 62 52 68 69 68 68 62 64 63 73 79 76 50 
			   
			 Hampshire 1 3 5 3 7 8 3 7 4 8 7 3 10 
			 Kent 8 3 8 4 10 6 4 4 7 6 5 3 9 
			 Surrey 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 4 3 0 3 2 1 
			 Sussex 4 4 5 5 6 9 3 9 4 3 3 4 3 
			 Thames Valley 7 7 8 3 9 13 3 6 6 8 6 7 5 
			  South East region 21 18 27 16 34 37 14 30 24 25 24 19 28 
			   
			 Avon and Somerset 3 5 5 3 4 4 4 3 2 4 5 3 6 
			 Devon and Cornwall 8 6 1 5 6 2 3 10 4 5 4 2 3 
			 Dorset 1 1 1 3 0 3 6 0 0 2 3 3 1 
			 Gloucestershire 1 1 3 0 3 3 2 3 0 2 0 0 1 
			 Wiltshire 2 0 1 0 3 2 2 3 1 1 2 2 0 
			  South West region 15 13 11 11 16 14 17 19 7 14 14 10 11 
			   
			 England 192 189 203 206 247 253 239 249 218 259 256 244 198 
			   
			 Dyfed-Powys 0 2 0 1 0 3 0 0 2 1 1 4 2 
			 Gwent 0 1 1 2 2 2 0 4 1 2 2 3 1 
			 North Wales 2 0 2 1 2 4 0 5 2 1 3 0 3 
			 South Wales 9 9 6 3 10 1 3 4 2 7 5 4 5 
			  Wales 11 12 9 7 14 10 3 13 7 11 11 11 11 
			   
			 British Transport Police 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 
			   
			 England and Wales 203 201 212 213 261 263 242 262 225 271 268 255 210 
			 (1) As at 28 September 2010; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available.

Local Government Finance

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much each local authority received from each  (a) revenue and  (b) capital funding stream from her Department in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; how much funding her Department allocated from each such stream in each year; and what the change was in the level of funding in each such stream between those years in (A) cash and (B) real terms.

Damian Green: The following table shows the combined resource (revenue) and capital funding for 'Support for Local Authorities' included in the (published) 2010-11 and the 2011-12 estimate. It also shows the change in funding in both cash and real terms.
	
		
			  Home Office area providing support for local authorities  Reference in Home Office supply estimate (£000)  2010-11 estimate (£000)  2011-12 estimate (£000)  Increase/(decrease) in cash terms (£000)  Movement in cash terms (percentage)  Movement in real terms (percentage) 
			 Crime and Policing Group H and K 5,659,807 5,360,000 (299,807) -5 -8 
			 UK Border Agency J 152,305 145,295 (7,010) -5 -7 
			 Office of Security and Counter Terrorism I 696,080 678,373 (17,707) -3 -5 
		
	
	To produce a detailed list of funding changes for every local authority individually would incur disproportionate cost to the Home Office. However, the breakdown of funding by police force is available within the published "Police Grant Report (England and Wales) 2010/11" and "Police Grant Report (England and Wales) 2011/12".
	As the 2010-11 financial year is still in progress, we are not yet able to provide final spend to local authorities for this financial year; out-turn against the estimate will be published in the 2010-11 annual report and accounts.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for Walsall North will receive a reply to the letter of 21 February 2011, on visas for overseas students.

Damian Green: holding answer 24 March 2011
	 I wrote to the hon. Member on 25 March 2011.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister for Immigration plans to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 17 February 2011 on Mrs Saima Noreen Rashid.

Damian Green: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 25 March 2011.

National Wildlife Crime Unit: Finance

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding her Department plans to provide for the National Wildlife Crime Unit in  (a) 2011-12 and  (b) 2012-13.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office will provide the following:
	 (a) £144,000 in 2011-12; and
	 (b) £136,000 in 2012-13.

Offences against Children

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with her European counterparts on establishing joint investigation teams to investigate abuse and exploitation of children overseas.

Damian Green: The UK Government are strongly committed to tackling human trafficking, and police led joint investigations that have been established with our European counterparts to investigate the abuse and exploitation of children is an approach that has proven to be highly effective.
	The success of Operation Golf in safeguarding trafficked children from ongoing exploitation is a testament to the value of joint investigations and the new Human Trafficking Strategy will place renewed emphasis on the upstream elements of our approach to tackling these important issues.

Offences against Children: British Nationals Abroad

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she has plans to review the effectiveness of legislation governing the prosecution of British nationals who commit sexual offences against children overseas.

James Brokenshire: The legislation was strengthened through the Policing and Crime Act 2009, to restrict overseas travel of sex offenders and through the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, to remove the condition of dual criminality so that a prosecution can be brought in this country even though the act committed was not an offence that took place in the UK.
	We will work with the police and other law enforcement agencies to ensure they utilise these powers fully.

Offences against Children: British Nationals Abroad

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many British nationals were arrested on suspicion of crimes of sexual abuse and exploitation of children overseas in the last five years.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office does not hold this information centrally. The investigation of suspected sexual abuse and exploitation of children overseas is not distinguished from domestic investigations on police data systems.

Theft

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what items with a value of over £100 have been taken without authorisation from her Department since her appointment; and what steps have been taken to recover such items.

Damian Green: Information Communications Technology (ICT) items with an estimated value of over £100 in the following table were reported as having been taken between 12 May 2010 and the end of December 2010. Figures are collated and checked quarterly and are not yet available for the last quarter.
	Arrangements for the management of physical assets other than ICT across the Home Office estate vary, and central data on thefts and losses are therefore collated annually at the end of the financial year. Further information cannot, therefore, be provided now, other than at disproportionate cost.
	There have been no reported incidents of personal items over the value of £100 being taken without authorisation.
	Action taken to recover any missing item will depend on the circumstances in which it was taken but will include referral to the police.
	
		
			  Items stolen between 12 May and 31 December 2010 
			   Core Home Office  UKBA  Identity and Passport Service  Criminal Records Bureau 
			 Laptop 0 1 0 0 
			 BlackBerry/mobile phone 2 5 0 0

Theft: Motor Vehicles

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures her Department has in place to identify cars registered in Great Britain which are stolen and subsequently offered for sale in other European countries.

James Brokenshire: The police share information on vehicles stolen in the UK with Interpol. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) shares information with participating member states via the EUCARIS system (European Car and Driving Licence Information System). This allows authorities in participating member states, when registering a vehicle, to check if it has been stolen.

UK Border Agency

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the implementation of the UK Border Agency's gender-based guidelines; and if she will make a statement.

Damian Green: A revised gender asylum instruction (gender issues in the asylum claim) was produced in September 2010. Training material for decision-makers has been updated in line with the revised gender asylum instruction. A six-month quality audit review on gender asylum claims will report in May 2011. This will establish how well decision-makers are implementing the new guidelines on gender.
	In relation to the provisions within the immigration rules for victims or domestic violence the Home Office definition of domestic violence is referred to in the guidance which applies to all applicants regardless of gender.

JUSTICE

Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress his Department has made in its review of the work of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.

Crispin Blunt: We are not reviewing the work of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. We are reviewing the terms of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. We intend to bring forward proposals in due course.

Magistrates: Expenses

Bob Blackman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has for reform of the payment of expenses to and compensation for time given by magistrates; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan Djanogly: Clearly the time given voluntarily by magistrates is of significant value in supporting the criminal justice system. We want magistrates to be suitably recompensed for out of pocket expenditure when they provide public service. We are considering changes to the current expenses system, in consultation with the magistracy, with a view to aligning current rates payable to those common across the public, private and the third sectors. We believe such changes better accord with public expectations around payment of expenses and HMRC guidance.
	There are currently no plans to reform financial loss allowances, which compensate magistrates for loss of earnings in respect of their volunteered time.

Access to Legal Redress

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to ensure equal access to legal redress.

Jonathan Djanogly: My hon. Friend's question potentially covers almost every area covered by my Department. However, of topical note are the consultations on both Lord Justice Jackson's proposals for civil costs and the reform of legal aid.
	Final impact and equality assessments will be published alongside our responses to the consultations, which will set out the way forward.

Imprisonment: Public Protection

Karen Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners serving indeterminate sentences of imprisonment for public protection have completed their tariffs.

Crispin Blunt: On 17 November 2010, there were 6,375 prisoners serving an indeterminate sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection or Detention for Public Protection in prisons or secure hospitals. 3,173 of those prisoners are held beyond their tariff expiry date, excluding offenders who have been recalled to custody following release.

Public Order Offences

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to increase the length of sentences which may be handed down for public order offences.

Crispin Blunt: We have no plans to increase the maximum penalties for public order offences. Sentencing in individual cases is entirely a matter for the courts, taking account of sentencing guidelines issues by the independent Sentencing Council and of all the circumstances of each case.

Alternatives to Prison

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2011,  Official Report, column 1283W, on sentencing, what advice the Sentencing Guidelines Council issues to magistrates and judges in circumstances where an offender  (a) has no fixed abode and a curfew or unpaid work would be appropriate and  (b) has advised the court of plans to leave the UK for a long time or permanently.

Crispin Blunt: The Sentencing Guidelines Council issued Magistrates Court Sentencing Guidelines in 2008. These do not contain advice specific to the circumstances detailed in the question. They do advise magistrates that the requirements imposed in a community order must be suitable for the individual offender and, among other things, will be influenced by the ability of the offender to comply, and the availability of the requirements in the local area. The guidelines also advise that whenever the court reaches the provisional view that a community order may be appropriate, it should usually request a pre-sentence report from probation. The pre-sentence report will provide information on the offender that will help the court to decide whether to impose a community order and, if so, whether particular requirements are suitable for an individual offender.

Birds of Prey: Conservation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prosecutions there have been for the illegal killing of birds of prey in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: The number of defendants proceeded against at the magistrates court for offences related to the protection of wild birds under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, England and Wales, in 2005 to 2009 (latest available), is provided in the following table.
	Data held centrally on the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database do not include information about the circumstances behind each case other than that which may be identified from a statute. It is not possible to separately identify birds of prey from other species.
	Please note that court proceedings data for 2010 are planned to be published in the spring 2011.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at the magistrates court for offences under section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981( 1) ,England and Wales, 2005-09( 2,3) 
			  Statute  2005  2006  2007  2008( 4)  2009 
			 Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, section 1 44 117 27 26 20 
			 (1) Offences include: Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, section 1 Protection of wild birds Protection of nests and eggs of wild birds (2) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4) Excludes data for Cardiff magistrates court for April, July and August 2008.  Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice

Bribery Act 2010

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to publish guidance on corporate hospitality under the Bribery Act 2010.

Jonathan Djanogly: The issue of corporate hospitality will be covered in the guidance I will be publishing shortly under section 9 of the Bribery Act about commercial organisations preventing bribery. This will make clear that corporate hospitality which seeks to improve the image of a commercial organisation, better to present products and services, or establish cordial relations, is recognised as an established and important part of doing business, and it is not the intention of the Act to criminalise such behaviour.

Civil Proceedings: Legal Aid

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was paid from civil legal aid budgets in disbursements in the last three years for which figures are available.

Jonathan Djanogly: The information is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2007-08( 1)  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Legal Help 15.9 18.1 20.6 
			 Civil Representation 102.4 110.9 110.7 
			 Total l8.3 129.1 131.3 
			 (1) Disbursements under legal help in 2007-08 cannot be disaggregated from the tailored fixed fee scheme whereby a single fixed fee was paid which included the disbursement.

Legal Aid

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  with reference to his Department's impact assessment on the Green Paper on legal aid reform, in which year the total number of legal aid cases cited as the baseline figure for this assessment were brought;
	(2)  if he will calibrate the figures in his Department's impact assessment on proposed changes to legal aid on the basis of March 2010 data;
	(3)  how many people will lose access to civil legal aid as a result of the proposals in the Green Paper, Proposals for the Reform of Legal Aid in England and Wales;
	(4)  what criteria his Department used to calculate the number of people that would lose access to legal aid under the proposals in the Green Paper, Proposals for the Reform of Legal Aid in England and Wales;
	(5)  how many people will be affected by changes proposed in the November 2010 Green Paper, Proposals for the Reform of Legal Aid in England and Wales.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Impact Assessments were based on 2008-09 closed case data.
	It is our intention to publish final impact assessments alongside the Government's finalised proposals, and these will be based on 2009-10 financial data.
	The Impact Assessments published alongside the consultation paper contain estimates of the potential impacts of the proposals in addition to details on the methodology used in assessing the potential impacts of the proposals.

National Probation Service for England and Wales: Contracts

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  on what occasions W.S. Atkins have breached the terms of the contract for maintenance and cleaning of and catering in the probation estate in each year of the contract; and what subsequent action was taken in each case;
	(2)  if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of terminating the contract with W.S. Atkins for maintenance, cleaning and catering in the probation estate;
	(3)  what plans his Department has for letting the next contract for maintenance, cleaning and catering in the probation estate;
	(4)  when the existing contract for maintenance, cleaning and catering on the probation estate is due to end.

Crispin Blunt: Atkins fulfils an asset management function for the probation service and provides a 24-hour accommodation help desk supporting the management of the probation estate. It does not provide a maintenance, cleaning or catering service.
	Responsibility for facilities management (FM) (including maintenance, cleaning and catering) lies with Amey and Interserve FM. These contracts have a term of five years from 30 June 2008, optionally extendable by two years. Contract payments for Amey, Atkins and Interserve are linked to performance. Plans for their succession are at an early stage and details are not yet available.

Offenders: Rehabilitation

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department raised from investors in order to run the Peterborough Social Impact Bond payment by results pilot.

Crispin Blunt: The Department has not raised any money from investors to run the Social Impact Bond pilot at Peterborough prison. The money was raised by Social Finance whose investors will receive a return on their investment from the Department if the bond achieves the required reduction in reoffending.

Offenders: Rehabilitation

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether his Department has underwritten the Social Impact Bond payment by results pilot at Peterborough prison.

Crispin Blunt: The Department has not underwritten the Social Impact Bond pilot at Peterborough prison. Investors managed by Social Finance bear the implementation and operational costs of the scheme and will receive a return on their investment from the Department if the bond achieves the required reduction in reoffending. Otherwise no payment will be made.

Prisoners: European Court of Human Rights

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners held in UK prisons have cases  (a) before and  (b) pending at the European Court of Human Rights.

Jonathan Djanogly: The Government do not keep statistics on how many applicants to the European Court of Human Rights are prisoners held in UK prisons.
	The Government do not receive details of all applications made to the Court. In particular, the Government are not advised of the details of a significant number of applications that are declared inadmissible by the Court. This may include applications made by prisoners held in UK prisons. In relation to those applications which have been communicated to the Government by the Court, the information communicated may not always reveal whether the applicant is a prisoner in a UK prison, although we would normally expect this to be apparent from the facts of the case.

Prisons: Drugs

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions in each of the past three years illicit drugs have been discovered inside HM Prison Full Sutton.

Crispin Blunt: There have been a total of 46 finds of substances presumed to be illicit drugs at Full Sutton over the last three years: 18 finds in 2010; 15 finds in 2009; and 13 finds in 2008.

Reoffenders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 1280-1W, on sentencing, how many of the offenders recalled and returned to custody in the period from 1 July 2010 to 30 September 2010 were recalled to serve  (a) their full sentence and  (b) a shorter sentence.

Crispin Blunt: Of the 4,163 offenders recalled between 1 July and 30 September 2010, 4,050 were returned to custody by 31 December 2010. Offenders recalled to custody are given review hearings by the Parole Board to determine whether to uphold the recall or re-release offenders. Written outcomes of these hearings are recorded centrally but are not collated. Collating data would exceed cost limits.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his assessment is of  (a) current and  (b) future demand for First Tier social security tribunal services in (i) Torbay and (ii) Devon.

Jonathan Djanogly: Demand for social security and child support (SSCS) is forecast nationally. Therefore, the Tribunals Service does not hold information on demand for SSCS services within either Torbay or Devon. Nationally we expect to receive about 415,000 SSCS appeals over the financial year 2010-11 and to receive a 422,000 in 2011-12. The Tribunals Service has responded strongly to this additional demand by increasing its capacity to dispose of appeals through the recruitment of additional staff and judiciary as well as a range of business improvements. The number of cases disposed of has increased by 36% from 222,300 in April 2009-January 2010, to 302,700 in April 2010-January 2011.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animals: Clones

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will bring forward proposals to implement the European Parliament's proposal to ban the sale of meat and dairy products from cloned animals and their descendants; and if she will make representations in support of this proposal at the EU Agriculture Council.

James Paice: holding answer 28 March 2011
	 Food from cloned animals is currently regulated under the EU Novel Food Regulation and must be approved before it can be marketed. There have been no applications in any EU member states to authorise food from any cloned animals.
	The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the European Food Safety Authority have advised that, for cattle and pigs, current evidence suggests that meat and milk from healthy clones or healthy descendants of clones is as safe as that from traditionally bred animals. The Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes reached the same conclusion on 25 November 2010.
	The Government's position is that a ban or temporary suspension on the sale of food from cloned animals and their descendants would be disproportionate in terms of food safety and animal welfare.
	The Government consider that EU welfare legislation is sufficient to deal with any welfare issues that may arise for the clone or the surrogate dam.

Biofuels

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the proportion of agriculture in the UK that provides biofuels in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Paice: DEFRA does not collect definitive figures on the area of crops grown for the production of biofuels in the UK.
	Some information on the area of oilseed rape grown for use in biofuel production is available from the Energy Aid scheme. The latest published information shows that in 2009 there were almost 86 thousand hectares of oilseed rape grown under this scheme in England. This is equivalent to around 16% of the total area of oilseed rape grown in England and less than 2% of the total croppable area in England. These figures may not capture all oilseed rape grown for biofuel production; only that declared under this particular scheme. Oilseed rape grown on other land which may have been used for biofuel production is not known because there is no way of identifying the end use of the crop.
	Sugar beet is grown in the UK for bioethanol production. In 2009 we estimated that around seven thousand hectares was used to produce bioethanol. This is equivalent to around 6% of the total area of sugar beet grown in the UK and less than 0.2% of the total croppable area in England. It should be noted that this is a derived figure that includes an element of data extrapolation rather than final figures.
	A UK biorefinery using wheat to produce bioethanol started production in 2009 but we are unable to provide information on its wheat use since this would breach data confidentiality requirements.

Carbon Emissions

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support her Department is providing to encourage the up-take of low-carbon and energy efficient equipment and machinery in the agricultural sector in each of the next four financial years.

James Paice: DEFRA is committed to ensuring that the agricultural sector reduces its greenhouse gas emissions through the adoption of more resource-efficient practices, such as more targeted application of nitrogen fertilisers and matching nutrition needs to that of livestock. Such practices make good business sense and often meet other environmental objectives, on water quality, air quality and conservation, for example.
	The Government are also keen for farm businesses to improve their energy efficiency through the uptake of low-carbon and energy efficient equipment. We are working closely with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), which leads on energy policy, to ensure that its policies include farm businesses.
	Alongside this, the enhanced capital allowance (ECA) scheme provides 100% first year capital allowances for businesses purchasing qualifying energy-saving plants and machinery. Further details are available on the Energy Technology List website:
	www.eca.gov.uk/etl
	HM Treasury leads on the ECA scheme and DECC is responsible for the Energy Technology List.

Charities

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department provided to each charity it funds in each of the last five years; and how much she has allocated for funding to each such charity in each of the next five years.

Richard Benyon: Grants to charities are awarded by all of DEFRA's delivery bodies, and information regarding these grants are held by the relevant delivery bodies, rather than being held centrally. DEFRA's accounting system records expenditure with charities, but does not distinguish between direct funding for activities and payment for goods and services. The detailed data for the last five years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. In addition, DEFRA does not have information available on how much will be spent with individual charities over the next five years.

Dairy Farming: Milk

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking in relation to the price for milk paid to dairy farmers.

James Paice: The Government are not involved in setting milk prices; these are the result of commercial decisions. However the market must work fairly and be transparent. I am working with the Dairy Supply Chain Forum to try to achieve this.
	We are also establishing a Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) to monitor and enforce the Groceries Supply Code of Practice. The GCA will investigate complaints from anyone in the supply chain who is directly or indirectly affected by a breach of the Code and can deal with them anonymously. This means suppliers from both the UK and overseas will be able to complain confidentially for the first time about breaches of the Code. A Bill is currently being drafted.

Departmental Redundancy

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many civil servants in her Department have been offered voluntary redundancy since April 2010; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: Since April 2010, as at 17 March 2011, nine civil servants in the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and its agencies have been offered voluntary redundancy. Of these, a total of five accepted the offer.
	For the same period, 429 civil servants in the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and its agencies have been offered voluntary departure packages. Of these, a total of 41 have accepted.
	Uptake of acceptance from the remaining individuals will not be known until 31 March 2011 at the latest.

Departmental Theft

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what items with a value of over £100 have been taken without authorisation from her Department since her appointment; and what steps have been taken to recover such items.

Richard Benyon: Official items lost or stolen are all recorded as 'losses'. The following table shows reported losses in DEFRA and its network bodies, with an estimated value of over £100 (at the time of loss). Figures are from 12 May 2010 to 21 March 2011.
	
		
			  Description  Quantity 
			 BlackBerry 11 
			 Laptop Computer 19 
			 Desktop computer 1 
			 Projector 1 
		
	
	All reported incidents are investigated and if theft is suspected these are reported to the police. Staff are advised to report to the police losses of equipment while out of the office.

Farmers

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on farmers establishing co-operatives.

James Paice: The Government strongly supports the concept of collaboration by farmers. However decisions about whether or not to establish an agricultural co-operative can only be made on a commercial basis by the individual farmer, or group of farmers concerned. While the co-operative business model may not suit everyone, it is widely acknowledged that farmer-owned co-operatives and other forms of collaborative enterprise can offer a number of important benefits. These include increased purchasing and negotiating power for their members and the ability to enhance their members' returns by investing in facilities that give added value to their products. Support for co-operation and for the establishment of supply chain collaboration has been provided, and will continue to be provided, under the rural development programme for England.

Farmers: Common Agricultural Policy

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to consult farmers on reform of the Common Agricultural Policy; and if she will make a statement.

James Paice: DEFA Ministers and officials regularly discuss reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) with a range of UK stakeholders, including farmers. The European Commission is expected to release regulatory proposals on the future of the CAP post-2013 towards the end of this year. DEFRA's intention is to consult UK stakeholders on these proposals and I would encourage farmers to make their views known.

Farmers: Nitrates

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the cost to farmers of establishing new nitrate vulnerable zones; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The current nitrate vulnerable zone (NVZ) designations and Nitrates Action programme came into force on 1 January 2009 through the Nitrate Pollution Prevention Regulations 2008. The annual cost to the agricultural sector of implementing these regulations was estimated as being from £48.5 million to £68.6 million.
	The actual cost is likely to be less than the range estimated for two reasons:
	(i) the total area of land eventually designated as NVZs comprises 62% of England, rather than the 70% on which the 2008 estimates were based; and
	(ii) Britain successfully negotiated a derogation from the livestock manure N farm limit (one of the more demanding requirements set by the Nitrates directive), which could reduce the costs to the dairy sector by up to £21.7 million a year.

Fly-tipping

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information her Department holds on the  (a) level and  (b) types of fly-tipped waste recovered from (i) public and (ii) private land which was (A) recycled and (B) sent to landfill in 2010-11.

Richard Benyon: Local authorities are required to report the number and size of fly-tipping incidents they deal with, the waste type involved, the land, category on which the incident occurs and any enforcement action taken. The Environment Agency also reports the larger scale and hazardous fly-tipping incidents it deals with. There is no requirement for private landowners to report fly-tipping data to Government, though some do on a voluntary basis.
	The fly-tipping official statistics for England are published on the DEFRA website; the latest published data is for 2009-10. Information for 2010-11 is still being collected.
	A breakdown of the number of incidents and types of waste reported to the Fly-capture data recording system by local authorities, the Environment Agency and a limited number of private landowners in England in 2009-10 is provided in the following table:
	
		
			   Number of incidents recorded by: 
			  Waste type  Local authorities  Environment Agency  Private landowners 
			 Household and black bags and other household waste 598,787 207 222 
			 Commercial black bags and other commercial waste 74,869 109 202 
			 Construction, demolition, excavation 54,657 237 41 
			 White goods 39,328 29 13 
			 Green waste 38,680 59 30 
			 Other Electrical 29,656 15 9 
			 Tyres 20,048 149 22 
			 Vehicle parts 10,029 25 11 
			 Animal carcasses 7,229 12 2 
			 Chemical drums, oil/fuel 3,291 116 12 
			 Asbestos 2,709 59 7 
			 Clinical 2,336 3 1 
			 Other unidentified 65,294 26 28 
		
	
	Local authorities report how much of their waste overall is recycled or sent to landfill but this information is not available specifically for fly-tipped waste.

Fly-tipping

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many incidences of fly-tipping were recorded on  (a) public and  (b) private land in each local authority area in 2010-11.

Richard Benyon: Tables detailing the number of incidents of fly-tipping recorded by (i) local authorities (ii) the Environment Agency and (iii) private landowners, on public and private land by local authority area for 2009-10 have been deposited in the House Library. Information for 2010-11 is still being collected.

Food: Waste

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the contribution of food waste to greenhouse gas emissions in each of the last four years.

Richard Benyon: The report 'The Water and Carbon Footprint of Household Food Waste in the UK', jointly published in March 2011 by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), estimates that the associated greenhouse gas emissions for avoidable and possibly avoidable household food waste are 25.7 million tonnes CO2 equivalent; of this, 20 million tonnes CO2 equivalent is estimated to be from avoidable food waste.
	'Waste arisings in the supply of food and drink to households in the UK', a report published by WRAP in March 2010, estimates that a further 10 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions is associated with supply chain food waste.
	These figures are not available for earlier years, and no estimates have been made to cover all waste streams.

Food: Waste

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to reduce levels of food waste over the comprehensive spending review period.

Richard Benyon: The Government are reviewing all aspects of waste policy and delivery in England, including food waste, with a principal aim of ensuring we are taking the right steps towards a 'zero waste economy'. Preliminary findings of the review will be published in May 2011.
	The Government have meanwhile been continuing to focus on preventing food waste arising wherever possible. The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), our key delivery body on waste, continues to work with retailers and manufacturers via the 'Courtauld Commitment', and to provide useful advice and information to households to help them waste less via the 'Love Food Hate Waste' campaign.

Food: Waste

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of levels of food waste in each of the last four years.

Richard Benyon: Our understanding of food waste levels is constantly changing as new evidence comes to light. Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) research estimated that total food waste in the UK was 18-20 million tonnes in 2009; by 2010 with newer data this was revised down to an estimate of 16 million tonnes.
	8.3 million tonnes of this is household food waste and 3.57 million tonnes arises from manufacture, retail and distribution. The remainder comes from areas such as the hospitality sector, prisons, schools and other public sector premises, agriculture, and horticulture.
	We will continue to update our figures as new data/evidence comes to light.

Food: Waste

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will introduce a national strategy for the reduction of food waste.

Richard Benyon: The Government are developing a renewed strategy for all waste including food waste as part of the Waste Review. Preliminary findings of the review will be published in May 2011.
	To date, the Government have sought to manage food waste in line with the waste hierarchy, which ranks waste management methods in order of environmental preference. Food waste prevention is better, environmentally, than any current treatment option, and sits at the top of the hierarchy. It can also offer financial benefits to businesses and households. The Government are currently working with the food industry and the public to reduce avoidable food waste via, for example, the 'Courtauld Commitment' and the Love Food Hate Waste campaign.

Marines

Oliver Colvile: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the process is for the designation of marine protected areas; how her Department monitors the operation of the process; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The process of designation of European marine sites (Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas) is set out in the Habitats and Wild Birds Directives and the associated guidance issued by the European Commission. These directives are primarily transposed by the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010, the Offshore Marine Conservation (Natural Habitats &c.) Regulations 2007 and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Proposals for all sites and their associated impact assessments are subject to public consultation. Recommendations for sites are made to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by the Government's statutory nature conservation bodies (SNCBs) based upon the best available scientific evidence. DEFRA considers whether the recommendations meet the criteria set out in the directives. It should be noted that socio-economic factors cannot be taken into account in selecting sites. If suitable, the sites are put forward to the European Commission for designation.
	The principles for designation of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) are set out in the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. For the areas where the Secretary of State has responsibility for selecting MCZs, the SNCBs-Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee-have set up four regional MCZ projects to identify potential sites and have provided guidance on the process that should be followed. Each project has established stakeholder groups made up of a variety of key stakeholders in their regions to examine the evidence and put forward site recommendations and associated Impact Assessments. In November 2011, the SNCBs are due to come forward with their statutory conservation advice on the creation of MCZs and formally submit the regional stakeholder project recommendations and Impact Assessments to DEFRA. These recommendations will be based on the best available evidence, and the impacts on social and economic factors will also be considered. The independent Science Advisory Panel will comment on the extent to which these recommendations would contribute to an ecologically coherent network of Marine Protected Areas in the UK. Government officials will consider this information and make recommendations to Ministers on proposals for a formal consultation exercise to be held in early 2012. The Government will take final decisions in light of responses to that exercise.

Nitrates: Rivers

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the levels of nitrates in rivers; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: Levels of nitrates in waters are assessed every four years, in accordance with the requirements of the Nitrates directive.
	The most recent assessment was made in 2008 and related to the period 2006-2007. This assessment showed that one third of the 6,929 surface water monitoring stations had maximum nitrate concentrations above 50mg/l nitrate, which is the threshold set by the directive as an indicator of polluted water. All land draining to polluted waters must be designated as a nitrate vulnerable zone (NVZ).
	We are reviewing the designation of NVZs. The next assessment of levels of nitrates in rivers will be available in 2012, and any changes to NVZ designations will come into effect from January 2013.

Ouse Washes

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the environmental assessment of the Ouse washes on which her Department based its conclusion that there was a risk of a breach of European law without action including the purchase of farmland.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 28 March 2011
	 I have arranged for a copy of the Strategic Environmental Assessment Report for Ouse Washes Habitat Creation Project to be placed in the House Library.

Poultry

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to  (a) protect and  (b) increase the hen harrier population.

Richard Benyon: In England the hen harrier "Circus cyaneus" is an extremely rare bird and is afforded strong protection under domestic legislation and European directives which together provide a powerful framework for the protection of the birds, their eggs, nests and habitats. This includes two Special Protection Areas classified in part for their breeding hen harrier populations. In addition to this legal protection, raptor persecution is currently one of the UK's wildlife crime priorities as part of the Partnership Against Wildlife Crime.
	A number of measures are being taken to increase the hen harrier population. In 2002 Natural England launched the Hen Harrier Recovery Project which aims to investigate the factors limiting hen harrier population growth and develop jointly agreed solutions with stakeholders to enable hen harrier recovery. It has set up a programme of stakeholder dialogue facilitated by the Environment Council (an independent charity which works with different organisations, including Government and NGOs, with the objective of reaching a sustainable solution) to find ways improve hen harrier population growth alongside the needs of grouse moor managers. DEFRA contributed £3,680 to this work in the 2010-11 financial year. In addition, the Langholm Moor Demonstration Project, supported by Natural England, seeks to demonstrate whether an economically viable grouse moor can be managed alongside a hen harrier population.
	The management of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) ensures that the breeding and wintering habitats of hen harriers are in favourable conservation status.
	The Environment Council is carrying out a scoping study to investigate the potential of using rearing facilities as a tool for improving the conservation status of Hen Harriers and DEFRA has allocated £10,000 to this work in the 2011-12 financial year.

Rural Payments Agency

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what target the Rural Payment Agency has set for time taken to deal with enquiries; and how long it took the Rural Payment Agency to respond to enquiries on average in the latest period for which figures are available.

James Paice: The Rural Payments Agency has a published target to reply to written correspondence within 15 working days of its receipt.
	During February 2011 the agency responded to 95.5% of written correspondence within 15 days.
	In the same period 88.3% of incoming calls to the agency's customer service centre were resolved during the first call.

Rural Payments Agency

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what mechanisms she has put in place to ensure that advice given by the Rural Payments Agency is accurate.

James Paice: The Rural Payments Agency provides information to its customers in a number of different ways. It responds to written correspondence and to inquiries made to its customer service centre. There is comprehensive information and guidance available on the agency's website and in the various guidance booklets which are issued to customers.
	The agency ensures that its people who deal with customers have appropriate training both in customer service and in the relevant subject matter. They also have access to scheme instructions which are developed in accordance with relevant legislation and policy. Managers undertake an appropriate level of quality checks within each different area of operation to ensure that guidance is correct and that areas for improvement or clarification are identified.

Rural Payments Agency: Information and Communications Technology

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to improve the Rural Payments Agency's IT systems.

James Paice: The Rural Payments Agency makes use of a considerable number of IT systems, reflecting its responsibility for administering over 60 common agricultural policy schemes, as well as other activities, such as livestock tracing. Last July the Government publicised the results of a review of the RPA, which included a detailed report on the agency's IT systems. The report can be located at the DEFRA website. The report included a number of specific recommendations on future system requirements, which the agency is seeking to implement on a value for money basis and ensure farm subsidy payments are delivered in an accurate and timely manner.

Tuna

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she plans to meet retailers and producers who have not committed to source tuna fished without the use of fish aggregating devices in purse seine nets.

Richard Benyon: I have no specific plans to meet retailers and producers who have not committed to sourcing tuna fished without the use of fish aggregating devices in purse seine nets. This is a recognised method of fishing and, provided they do not make misleading claims about the provenance of the fish, businesses are at liberty to trade tuna that has been caught in this manner.
	I am pleased to see that more retailers and producers are sourcing tuna caught using fishing methods that are more effective in targeting specific tuna species.

Tuna

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on fishing for tuna using fish aggregating devices in purse seine nets.

Richard Benyon: Fishing for tuna using fish aggregating devices in purse seine nets is a legally permitted fishing method approved by a number of regional fisheries management organisations.

Waste Management

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assistance her Department is providing for the development of systems and procedures to enable farm-scale anaerobic digestion;
	(2)  what assistance her Department is providing for the development of anaerobic digestate as a commercial fertiliser.

Richard Benyon: The Government are exploring this issue with industry, and is committed to increasing energy from waste (such as the production of heat, electricity and transport fuels) through anaerobic digestion (AD). This work is led by DEFRA, working closely with DECC and other Government Departments.
	The AD Framework document published in November 2010 sets out the steps which the Government believes need to be taken to achieve that aim. The project aims to facilitate collaborative work between industry, government and a wide range of interested parties to identify barriers to the uptake of AD, and key actions that can be taken forwards by industry, or in partnership. The project will look at issues relating to all models and technologies for AD which will include on-farm plants, and at issues relating to building and securing safe markets for digestate.
	The document acknowledges that digestate is a valuable resource that can be used to displace inorganic fertiliser and there is a need for clearly defined routes for the use of digestate so that renewable resources are recycled sustainably.
	Two important documents on digestate are already available:
	The Quality Protocol for the production and use of quality outputs from the anaerobic digestion of source-segregated biodegradable waste (17 September 2009).
	The standard for digestate BSI PAS110 (22 February 2010).
	These clarify when this material has been fully recovered and waste management controls are no longer required. They also provide users with confidence that the
	digestate they purchase conforms to an approved standard.
	An AD strategy document is set to be published in the 2nd quarter of 2011.

Water

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to measure the level of water used in each stage of the food supply chain.

Richard Benyon: We are taking a number of steps to improve national estimates of water use and to help businesses measure the level of water used in their own supply chains.
	DEFRA is working with the Environment Agency to improve the quality of estimates of water abstraction by different parts of the supply chain; with Ofwat (the Water Services Regulation Authority) and the water companies to improve the consistency and detail of information provided by the water companies on the use of public water supply by different sectors; and with the Office for National Statistics on survey information which will enable us to estimate water use at a detailed sector level. We are engaging with the European Commission on their scoping work on water management initiatives. We are also appraising the options for water used in the production of goods or services in the supply chain, and will be providing support to businesses to sustainably manage and reduce this water usage.

Water

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to consult on the application to regions other than the South West of her proposals on water affordability.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 29 March 2011
	The Government are committed to supporting households that face water affordability pressures and those in areas with particularly high water bills, such as the South West.
	We will consult shortly on proposals to address water affordability across England. This will include reforms to the existing WaterSure scheme, the introduction of company social tariffs and options for additional Government spending to provide further support.

Water: Meters

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which bodies her Department has consulted as part of the preparation of its Water White Paper.

Richard Benyon: holding answer 28 March 2011
	We have consulted with a wide range of bodies in the development of policies which might potentially form part of the Water White Paper, including water companies, consumer organisations, other parts of Government, environmental groups, local authorities, the investment community and land managers. This has involved various stakeholder events and individual meetings.
	We also received over 800 responses to our online survey on the White Paper, and over 60 responses to the Call for Evidence for the Review of Ofwat, both of which were open to anyone.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Bereavement Benefits

Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will bring forward proposals to equalise the eligibility of survivors of  (a) cohabiting couples and  (b) married couples for bereavement benefits and payments;
	(2)  what guidance his Department issues on the compatibility with equalities legislation of the practice of awarding bereavement benefits and other such payments to the survivors of  (a) married and  (b) cohabiting couples.

Steve Webb: Following a death, bereavement benefits-widowed parent's allowance, bereavement allowance and bereavement payment-are payable to the surviving spouse or civil partner on the basis of the national insurance contributions paid by the deceased person. Other qualifying conditions must also be met.
	There are no plans to extend those benefits to cohabiting couples.
	The Department does not issue guidance on the compatibility of bereavement benefits policy with equalities legislation and there is no duty to do so. I am satisfied that restricting those contributory benefits to surviving spouses and civil partners is not discriminatory.

Departmental Leaseback Arrangements

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assets his Department has sold and leased back over the last 12 months; what the sale price was of each asset so sold; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of leasing back each such asset over the period of the lease.

Chris Grayling: The Department and its Agencies do not own any land or property. Asset transfer has already been completed through a PFI contract known as PRIME, returning exchequer receipts of £250 million in 1998 and £100 million in 2003 when DWP outsourced its estate.
	The DWP disposed of the majority of its vehicle fleet in August 2007. The Department's IS/IT and telephony requirements were outsourced to EDS (now part of Hewlett Packard) and BT in 2005.

Departmental Plants

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on indoor and outdoor plants and trees since his appointment.

Chris Grayling: DWP occupies its properties under the terms of a 20 year private finance initiative contract entered into in 1998 and pays an all inclusive unitary charge. The contract includes the provision of indoor plants, the cost of which is not separately identifiable, and the provision of landscape maintenance, from which the cost of (maintaining) outdoor plants and trees is not separately identifiable.

Employment Schemes

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether Work Programme providers will be permitted to provide basic numeracy and literacy skills training to participants where such skills are deemed necessary workplace skills.

Chris Grayling: The Government are clear that providers are best placed to know what works for customers and as such we will not specify what Work Programme providers should deliver. Therefore Work Programme providers are free to offer whatever support they deem necessary to help a person back to work, including basic numeracy and literacy skills training.

Employment Schemes: Incentives

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what account arrangements in the Work Programme for rewarding providers for retaining people in work take of the predominance of seasonal employment in some areas.

Chris Grayling: The Work Programme funding model has been designed to strongly encourage providers to get people into long term sustainable employment. However, we acknowledge that in some cases people will move jobs, as may be the case in areas where seasonal employment is high. As such a period of employment for which a provider can claim an outcome does not necessarily need to be with one employer, but may be made up of two or more periods of employment.
	This allows providers to take into account the local labour markets in areas where there may be a high proportion of seasonal employment. However, the emphasis of the Work Programme will, quite rightly, remain in getting people permanent employment in which they can progress.

Future Jobs Fund

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the drop out rate was for each of the Future Jobs Fund pilot schemes.

Chris Grayling: The future jobs fund (FJF) was not piloted. Recruitment to the FJF commenced in October 2009 and is due to finish in March 2011, with FJF placements expected to last for six months.

Future Jobs Fund

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information his Department holds on the number of people placed in employment in  (a) Ashfield constituency and  (b) Nottinghamshire through the Future Jobs Fund.

Chris Grayling: The Future Jobs Fund (FJF), at up to £6,500 per person, does not offer value for money to the taxpayer. It creates temporary, short-term placements, and the grants do not include any incentives to move people into permanent employment.
	Recent analysis shows over 45% of FJF participants are claiming benefit seven months after they started FJF. There are still too many FJF participants who are failing to get a sustained job. The published version of the analysis can be found here:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/adhoc_analysis/2011/early_analysis_of_fjf_participant_outcomes_march2011.pdf
	The most recent Young Person's Guarantee statistics were published on 19 January 2011. Statistics are available on the FJF which covers the period from October 2009 to the end of October 2010.
	There have been a total of 2,000 FJF-funded employment starts within the county of Nottinghamshire between October 2009 and October 2010 which includes 150 within the parliamentary constituency of Ashfield.
	Breakdowns of this information can be found in the following table:
	
		
			  The number of people within Nottinghamshire county and Ashfield parliamentary constituency that have started FJF funded employment since October 2009 
			  Month  Nottinghamshire  Ashfield 
			  2009   
			 October - - 
			 November 30 - 
			 December 50 - 
			  2010   
			 January 110 - 
			 February 200 10 
			 March 360 40 
			 April 230 10 
			 May 250 10 
			 June 220 30 
			 July 160 10 
			 August 90 20 
			 September 150 10 
			 October 140 20 
			 Total 2,000 150 
			  Notes: 1. Data source-DWP LMS opportunities evaluation database November 2010. 2. Due to data protection protocols, values less than 10 are suppressed and marked with a dash to avoid unnecessary disclosure. Additionally, any figures above 10 are rounded to the nearest 10. Due to rounding, totals may not be the sum of the individual ceils. Months are calendar months.  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Jobseekers and Work Programme Division

Housing Benefit

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in what circumstances a single person with no children would be affected by the housing benefit cap; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: From April 2011, the maximum local housing allowance rate for a single person with no children who claims housing benefit is £250 per week. This limit will apply in cases where the contractual rent exceeds that amount.

Housing Benefit

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether discretionary housing payments are to be included in the calculation for the total household benefits cap.

Steve Webb: Discretionary housing payments will not be included in the calculation for the total household benefits cap.

Housing Benefit

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications were made for discretionary housing payments in each local authority area in England in each of the last five years; and how many  (a) were granted and  (b) went to appeal in each such year.

Steve Webb: Applications for discretionary housing payments are made to the local authorities, and the Department does not ask for returns on either the number of applications made or the number of appeals.
	The Department does ask local authorities for the number of awards that are granted. However, this information is not always completed by local authorities, and so the data that the Department holds are incomplete.

Social Fund

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of his Department's budget for crisis loans he proposes to devolve to local authorities under his plans for reform of the social fund; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: The annually managed expenditure allocated to social fund grants and loans will be proportioned between local authorities in England and the devolved Administrations.
	We are currently developing options on how the funding will be allocated between local authorities in England and the devolved Administrations. Any new administrative burdens on local authorities will be assessed in the usual way and funded by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Social Security Benefits

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to paragraph 14 of his Department's impact assessment on fraud penalties and sanctions, how many  (a) cases leading to three-year loss of benefit for organised fraud and  (b) cases of longer one to three strike loss of benefit sanction he expects there to be as a result of his proposed measures in each year to 2014-15.

Chris Grayling: The following table shows the estimates of the number of cases which potentially could result in  (a) three-year loss of benefit for organised fraud  (b) longer one to three strikes for loss of benefit sanction each year to 2014-15. These measures will be introduced in 2012.
	
		
			   2012- 13  2013-14  2014-15 
			 Immediate three year loss of benefit sanction for organised fraud(1) 100 200 200 
			 Longer one, two and three strike where there has been a conviction 8,000 18,000 19,000 
			 (1) Covers serious cases of organised benefit fraud and serious cases of identity fraud.  Notes: 1. Projected growth between 2012-13 and 2013-14 assumes roll-out of the Single Fraud Investigation Service and Regional Mobile Taskforce. 2. Three-year loss estimates are rounded to the nearest 100; one, two and three strike sanctions are rounded to the nearest 1,000.

Universal Credit

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether an employee whose employer is not yet providing real-time earnings data to HM Revenue and Customs applying for universal credit after October 2013 will have their application treated as an application for tax credits rather than universal credit.

Chris Grayling: The White Paper "welfare that works" set out a provisional timetable for taking on claims to universal credit, with the current intention to start to take new claims to universal credit from October 2013, and no new claims being made to tax credits from 2014. This remains our intention subject to further planning and will take place even if an employer is not yet providing HMRC with real-time earnings data.

Work Capability Assessment

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of bringing in the Work Capability Assessment Regulations (S.I. No. 228, 2011).

Chris Grayling: The costs and savings associated with the revised work capability assessment (WCA) are set out in the impact assessment which accompanied the regulations, which can be accessed via the following link:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/wca-ia-eia.pdf
	This shows there is a one-off cost of £9.2 million for implementing the revised WCA over three years. The majority of the costs lie with revising the ATOS healthcare IT software for inputting the medical assessments, and training ATOS healthcare professionals to implement the revised assessment. There will also be costs for revising the customer questionnaire in line with the proposals.
	Ongoing costs and savings arise due to more people either being assessed to be in the support group or assessed as fit for work and will receive different benefit rates as a result. Details of these are outlined in annex 2 of the impact assessment.

Work Capability Assessment

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to receive the next report from Professor Malcolm Harrington on the work capability assessment.

Chris Grayling: We expect to receive Professor Harrington's second independent review of the work capability assessment (WCA) before the end of 2011.
	We look forward to receiving his recommendations for further improvements to the assessment to ensure it is as fair and accurate as possible.

Work Capability Assessment

Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the costs of implementing the Work Capability Assessment Regulations 2011 (S.I., 2011, No. 228) are reflected in his latest estimates of net savings from the implementation of his welfare reforms.

Chris Grayling: The costs and savings associated with the revised work capability assessment are outlined in the impact assessment which accompanied the regulations, which can be accessed via the following link:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/wca-ia-eia.pdf
	These are included in all relevant Government forecasts.

Work Programme Contracts

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether start dates for work programme contracts will be staggered; and by what date he expects all such contracts to have commenced.

Chris Grayling: The start dates of Work programme contracts are expected in June.
	We will extend support where a significant gap arises where contracts do not start in June.

CABINET OFFICE

Deaths

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the mortality rates per 10,000 were for  (a) each region and  (b) parliamentary constituency in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the mortality rates per 10,000 were for (a) each region and (b) parliamentary constituency in the latest period for which figures are available. (48498)
	The table attached provides the age-standardised mortality rate per 10,000 population, for (a) English government office regions and Wales, and (b) parliamentary constituencies in England and Wales, for 2009 (the latest year available).
	A copy of Table 1 has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
	The numbers of deaths registered in England and Wales each year by sex, age and cause are published annually on the National Statistics website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=15096

Well-being

Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what research into well-being his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated in the last five years.

Francis Maude: The Cabinet Office has neither commissioned nor evaluated any research into well-being in the last five years. Following an invitation by the Prime Minister last November, the National Statistician is producing new measures of subjective well-being. Cabinet Office is co-ordinating work across Government to consider how these measures might be applied to policy.

TRANSPORT

Aviation: International Cooperation

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the date is of the most recent bilateral aviation agreement between the UK and  (a) Brazil,  (b) the Russian Federation,  (c) India,  (d) China and  (e) Indonesia.

Theresa Villiers: The dates of the most recent signed bilateral Air Services Agreements are as follows:
	 (a) 31 October 1946;
	 (b) 19 December 1957;
	 (c) 8 September 2005;
	 (d) 1 November 1979; and
	 (e) 28 June 1973.

Aviation: International Cooperation

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what negotiations there have been between his Department and the Government of Japan on bilateral aviation agreements since May 1997; and what discussions Ministers and officials in his Department have had with their Japanese counterparts on the matter during visits to Japan since May 2010.

Theresa Villiers: There have been a number of rounds of air services negotiations with the Japanese since May 1997. The last round of formal talks between the two sides was held on 11-12 November 2008 in Tokyo.
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs explained in a speech in Tokyo in July 2010 that we stand ready to work with Japan to move ahead with a liberalisation of UK/Japan air services.
	The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the hon. Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne), Simon Fraser, Permanent Under Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and Lord Howell also raised the issue with the Japanese Government during visits in September 2010, January 2011 and February 2011.

Aviation: Working Hours

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the likely effects on safety of the European Aviation Safety Agency's proposals for reform of flight time limitations.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 7 February 2011,  Official Report, column 51W, given to the hon. Member for Coventry South (Mr Cunningham).

Aviation: Working Hours

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received on flight timetables for pilots.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 15 February 2011,  Official Report, column 673W, given to the hon. Member for North Down (Lady Hermon).

Compensation

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department and each  (a) agency and  (b) non-departmental public body for which he is responsible spent on compensation payments to members of the public for errors made by such bodies in each of the last five years.

Norman Baker: The figures for each part of the Department for Transport for which the Secretary of State is responsible are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Organisation  Status  2010-11  2009-10  2008-09  2007-08  2006-05 
			 Department for Transport Central Department 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency Trading fund 167,000 160,000 172,000 197,000 165,000 
			 Highways Agency Executive agency 17,000 0 9,000 43,000 40,000 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency Executive agency (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency Executive agency 0 1,296 4,167 0 4,786 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency Trading fund 15,680 30,247 24,592 94,611 30,247 
			 Driving Standards Agency Trading fund (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- (1)- 
			 British Transport Police Non-departmental public body 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Renewable Fuels Agency Non-departmental public body 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Passenger Focus Non-departmental public body 0 0 0 0 0 
			 High Speed 2 (HS2) Non-departmental public body 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Directly Operated Railways Non-departmental public body 0 0 0 0 0 
			 (1) Cannot be provided other than at disproportionate cost

Departmental Cycling

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many employees in his Department are participating in the Cycle to Work scheme.

Norman Baker: There are 302 employees in the Department currently participating in the Cycle to Work scheme. Cycle to work schemes operate in the central Department (DfT(c)) and four agencies.
	
		
			  Organisation  Number of participants 
			 Central Department DfT(c) 55 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency 12 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency 4 
			 Highways Agency 130 
			 Driving Standards Agency 101 
			 Total 302

Departmental Food

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the proportion of the seafood procured for  (a) his Department,  (b) its agencies and  (c) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible that was (i) on the Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to avoid and (ii) complied with sustainability standards indicated by inclusion in either the Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to eat or by the list of fish species certified by the Marine Stewardship Council in (A) 2010 and (B) 2011 to date.

Norman Baker: The information requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  Organisation  
			  (a) Department  
			 Department for Transport (Centre) (DfT(c)) Food is only procured in any significant quantity by the DfT(c) HQ supplier. Suppliers of fresh and frozen fish comply with the Marine Council Standards for all products that they sell. 
			   
			  (b) Agencies  
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) All of the seafood procured by Avenance at the DVLA in 2010 and 2011 to date complies with the Marine Stewardship Council's guidance on sustainable sourcing practices. The DVLA does not use any products from the Marine Conservation Society's "fish to avoid list". 
			 Driving Standards Agency (DSA) Seafood is procured on behalf of the DSA by a third party for catering services at the training and development centre in Bedford. Procurement for (A) 2010 and (B) 2011 is detailed as follows:  (i) (A) 4 kilos king prawns, for use in staff restaurant  (B) None.  (ii) (A) Of the total 228 kilos procured, 21 kilos were included on the Marine Stewardship Council list of fish species  (B) Of the total 86 kilos procured, 2.8 kilos were included on the Marine Stewardship Council list of fish species. 
			 Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) There are no catering contracts at GCDA but low volume purchases are made from high street suppliers. 
			 Highways Agency (HA) Food is procured for the Highways Agency through its Property Facilities Management contracts. As there is nothing in the associated provisions requiring returns as regards this sort of information, the HA does not hold any such data, nor does it have any way of estimating it. 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Other than the very occasional light lunch for meetings with external stakeholders, the MCA does not procure food. 
			 Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) VCA does not procure any food. 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) VOSA does not have a catering contract in place. 
			   
			  (c) Non-departmental public bodies  
			 British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) BTPA acquires catering from local companies for occasional meetings, who rarely provide fish products. The Authority holds no information on the origin of species served. 
			 Cycling England (CE) CE is not a legal entity and cannot procure. DfT (c) have not procured any seafood at all on its behalf. 
			 Directly Operated Railways (DOR) DOR has reported a nil return. 
			 High Speed 2 (HS2) Nil return in respect of HS2 Ltd which is not a procurer of fish. 
			 Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) NLB is unable to estimate the proportion of the seafood procured that was (i) on the Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to avoid and (ii) complied with sustainability standards indicated by inclusion in either the Marine Conservation Society's list of fish to eat or by the list of fish species certified by the Marine Stewardship Council in (A) 2010 and (B) 2011 to date. 
			 Passenger Focus (PF) None in all cases of this question. The only foodstuffs procured by PF are coffee, tea, milk, fruit juice and sugar. 
			 Railway Heritage Committee (RHC) RHC has reported a nil return. 
			 Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA) RFA have not procured any sea food or similar products at any time. 
			 Trinity House (TH) TH has reported a nil return.

Departmental Procurement

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost to the public purse was of the  (a) procurement and  (b) outsourcing function of (i) his Department and (ii) each (A) agency, (B) non-departmental public body and (C) non-ministerial department for which he is responsible in the last financial year for which figures are available.

Norman Baker: The last financial year for which figures are available for the cost of the procurement function is 2009-10. The information is that provided to the Cabinet Office annual Back Office benchmarking survey and is as follows:
	
		
			  Organisation  Cost of the procurement function (£) 
			 DfT(c) 3,199,732 
			 Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 2,085,837 
			 Driving Standards Agency 478,768 
			 Government Car and Despatch Agency (1)- 
			 Highways Agency 4,433,324 
			 Maritime and Coastguard Agency 288,340 
			 Vehicle and Operator Services Agency 203,816 
			 (1) No data. 
		
	
	Only organisations with a headcount of over 250 were within scope for benchmarking so Vehicle Certification Agency is not included. The non departmental public bodies were also not included.
	Information on the cost of the procurement function in the bodies not included in the survey is not available.
	The benchmarking exercise set its own parameters for what fell within the scope of cost of the function and these may vary from costs of the function collected for any other purpose.
	The outsourcing function is covered by the procurement function; not as a discrete function.
	The Cabinet Office has published procurement costs for all Government Departments for 2009-10 at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/back-office-benchmark-information-200910

European Aviation Safety Agency

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has plans to meet officials of the European Aviation Safety Agency.

Theresa Villiers: I have no plans to meet officials from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). However, officials from the Department regularly meet officials from EASA, as do the CAA.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he has made in allowing insurers to gain access to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency drivers' database.

Michael Penning: A number of workshops have been held with the insurance industry to identify the system requirements, the preferred solution and the costs to design, develop, test and implement the required solution.
	The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is now preparing the necessary business case to enable a full costing to be made and it will be shared with the insurance industry. The exact time scale for implementation will depend on the specific options chosen.

Transport: Finance

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding his Department gave to the local transport authority in  (a) Suffolk,  (b) Bedfordshire,  (c) Cambridgeshire,  (d) Essex,  (e) Hertfordshire and  (f) Norfolk (i) in total, (ii) per mile of road in the local authority area and (iii) per head of population in that area in each year since 1997.

Norman Baker: Funding provided to the local transport authorities in Suffolk, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Norfolk to support local transport is shown in the following tables. From 2000-01 this comprises the integrated transport block and highways maintenance capital blocks, funding for specific major projects, road safety projects, bus services and cycling and walking schemes, and a number of additional road maintenance funding streams. Prior to 2000-01 funding was provided in the form of 'gross approved spending'.
	Revenue expenditure on transport is generally supported through the Department for Communities and Local Government's formula grant, and it is not possible to disaggregate this by service.
	Funding for concessionary travel has not been included, since this is provided to the district councils in these areas, rather than the upper tier transport authorities.
	
		
			  (i) In total 
			  £ million 
			  FY  Suffolk  Beds( 1)  Cambs  Essex  Herts  Norfolk 
			 2010-11(2) 33.001 14.856 27.464 (3)72.807 39.865 48.035 
			 2009-10 34.286 14.176 25.516 45.562 39.326 41.989 
			 2008-09 37.492 17.170 65.964 43.053 35.074 34.792 
			 2007-08 30.495 18.204 65.057 40.412 33.905 40.020 
			 2006-07 42.029 20.909 43.515 32.877 31.743 40.971 
			 2005-06 38.219 11.264 28.512 35.139 38.074 35.872 
			 2004-05 34.222 10.032 30.941 28.571 42.875 42.736 
			 2003-04 26.213 10.738 21.667 28.153 26.746 40.181 
			 2002-03 23.279 26.024 17.273 36.301 26.085 33.614 
			 2001-02 25.126 9.847 16.992 35.260 23.150 39.487 
			 2000-01 9.674 4.715 8.107 13.236 9.911 11.128 
			 1999-2000 6.756 5.045 8.592 9.992 7.302 9.346 
			 1998-99 5.838 3.513 5.613 6.068 4.997 7.115 
			 1997-98 6.141 3.692 8.542 6.615 6.550 7.713 
		
	
	
		
			  (ii) Per mile of road 
			  £000 
			  FY  Suffolk  Beds( 1)  Cambs  Essex  Herts  Norfolk 
			 2010-11(2) 7.630 10.189 9.373 (3)14.290 13.092 7.665 
			 2009-10 7.927 9.723 8.709 8.943 12.915 6.700 
			 2008-09 8.648 11.968 22.517 8.451 11.418 5.532 
			 2007-08 7.038 12.696 21.819 7.944 10.372 6.518 
			 2006-07 9.713 14.667 14.915 6.497 9.754 6.510 
			 2005-06 8.992 8.113 9.881 6.949 12.684 5.719 
			 2004-05 8.060 7.060 10.706 5.647 14.155 6.856 
			 2003-04 6.147 7.442 7.543 5.697 8.277 6.399 
			 2002-03 5.467 18.058 6.021 7.364 8.089 5.362 
			 2001-02 5.910 6.844 5.932 7.164 7.193 6.308 
			 2000-01 2.279 3.783 2.834 2.294 3.086 1.780 
			 1999-2000 1.778 4.110 3.467 2.239 2.580 1.650 
			 1998-99 1.539 2.868 2.268 1.362 1.769 1.258 
			 1997-98 1.621 3.020 3.457 1.488 2.324 1.366 
		
	
	
		
			  (iii) Per head of population 
			  £ total 
			  FY  Suffolk  Beds( 1)  Cambs  Essex  Herts  Norfolk 
			 2010-11(2) 46 36 45 (3)52 36 56 
			 2009-10 48 34 42 33 36 49 
			 2008-09 52 42 109 31 33 41 
			 2007-08 43 45 107 29 32 49 
			 2006-07 60 52 74 24 30 49 
			 2005-06 55 28 49 26 36 43 
			 2004-05 50 25 54 21 41 52 
			 2003-04 39 27 38 21 26 49 
			 2002-03 35 67 31 27 25 42 
			 2001-02 38 26 31 27 22 49 
			 2000-01 14 12 15 10 10 14 
			 1999-2000 10 13 16 8 7 12 
			 1998-99 9 10 10 5 5 9 
			 1997-98 9 10 16 5 5 10 
			 (1) Figures for Bedfordshire relate to funding provided to Bedfordshire county council from 1997-98 to 2008-09, and funding provided to Bedford borough council and Bedfordshire central council for 2009-10 and 2010-11. (2) Figures for 2010-11 do not include the fourth quarter payments of local authority major scheme funding. (3) Essex has received £28.5 million in 2010-11 for the A13/A130 Sadlers Farm Junction major scheme.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Emissions: Housing

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will establish a carbon timeline in respect of housing stock to plan and monitor carbon reduction targets.

Gregory Barker: The UK has signed-up to legally-binding carbon budgets. A detailed breakdown of the Government's actions and milestones for meeting the carbon budgets will be set out in a Carbon plan, the draft of which has been made available on my Department's website. This covers our expectations for the housing stock. The final, 'live' version of the Carbon plan will be published in October 2011. Quarterly updates on progress against actions within the plan will be published on the No. 10 website thereafter.

Carbon Emissions: Housing

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate the effects on domestic energy bills of the introduction of a carbon floor price of £16 per tonne of carbon dioxide emitted from 2013.

Gregory Barker: On 23 March 2011, the Government announced that, following consultation, a carbon price floor for electricity generation will be introduced from 1 April 2013. The carbon price floor will start at around £16 per tonne of carbon dioxide (tCO2) and follow a linear path to £30/tCO2 in 2020 (in real 2009 prices) to drive investment in the low-carbon power sector. The carbon price support rates for 2013-14 will be equivalent to £4.94/tCO2. Accompanying the announcement, HMRC published a tax information and impact note, available online at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2011/tiin6111.pdf
	Based on the market prices of fossil fuels and carbon, the economic determinants published at Budget, and assuming full pass through to the wholesale electricity price, average annual household electricity bills will increase by around 1% (£6 in real 2009 prices) in 2013 and around 4% (£17 in real 2009 prices) in 2016 compared to what they otherwise would have been. However, in the late 2020s electricity bills will be between 2-4% lower than would otherwise have been the case.

Departmental Manpower

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many staff in his Department were in the Civil Service redeployment pool on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many of these had been in the redeployment pool for more than six months at that date.

Gregory Barker: As of 1 March 2011, there are five staff on the DECC redeployment register. All have been on the register for more than six months as of this date.

Energy: Carbon Emissions

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on the recommendations of the Committee on Climate Change for electricity market reform to deliver a close to zero-carbon power sector by 2030; and what definition of close to zero-carbon his Department uses.

Gregory Barker: We are considering the advice from the Climate Change Committee and will respond to it as part of the October report on the policy and proposals to meet the fourth carbon budget, following Parliament's decision on setting the level of the fourth carbon budget in legislation.
	The Electricity Market Reform White Paper will set out the mechanisms that the UK will use to deliver the decarbonisation of the electricity sector, in line with the fourth carbon budget.

Energy: Prices

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with energy suppliers on price differentials for those with pre-payment meters; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: Energy tariffs are a matter for Ofgem, who have put in place rules to protect consumers on pricing, including licence condition changes to prevent unfair price differentials, such as those between different payment methods.
	Ofgem has reported on the effectiveness of these changes and, as part of their Retail Market Review, found that prepayment meter (PPM) customers now pay, on average, £20 less than standard credit customers for their gas and electricity. They have also found that direct debit customers now pay, on average, £70 less than PPM for gas and electricity, which is within the £88 indicative cost difference between providing and servicing a PPM compared to a direct debit account, identified by Ofgem. A copy of the full Ofgem Retail Market Review-Findings and Proposals is available online at:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Markets/RetMkts/rmr/Documents1/RMR_FINAL.pdf
	We support Ofgem's actions in tackling unjustified tariff premiums to ensure consumers do not lose out.

Nuclear Fusion: Research

Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the contribution to the economy of expenditure on research into cold fusion.

David Willetts: I have been asked to reply.
	None. At present no funding has been awarded for research into cold fusion by bodies funded by this Department.

Nuclear Power Stations: Safety

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hartlepool of 18 March 2011,  Official Report, column 757W, if he will direct the Chief Nuclear Inspector to seek evidence from experts  (a) within and  (b) outside the nuclear industry in preparing his report on the situation in Japan and the lessons to be learned; and if he will request the Chief Nuclear Inspector to hold in public any sessions held for the purpose of taking oral evidence.

Charles Hendry: The Secretary of State has asked UK Chief Nuclear Inspector Dr Mike Weightman to provide a report to the Government on the implications of the unprecedented events in Japan and the lessons to be learned for the UK nuclear industry.
	He has asked for an interim report by mid-May 2011 and a final report within six months. The reports will be published in the public domain.
	The Chief Nuclear Inspector's reports will be independent, informed from a robust evidence base, comprehensive, wide in scope and based on the best technical advice available.
	The report will be produced in close cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) Japanese authorities, and other international regulators to carefully establish what lessons can be learned.

Renewable Energy

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the reliability of renewable energy generation; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: DECC publishes annually the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (DUKES) which gives the installed capacity, generation and load factors for the main renewable energy technologies. The load factor provides a measure of the amount of electricity generated by each technology compared to the theoretical maximum output under ideal conditions. Table 7.4 of DUKES 2010 contains the installed capacity, generation and load factors for the key renewable energy technologies in 2009:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/source/renewables/renewables.aspx
	The next edition of DUKES, which will contain the 2010 figures for renewable energy technologies, will be published on 28 July 2011.

River Severn: Tidal Power

Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he made of the potential energy, economic and environmental effects of construction of a Severn barrage.

Charles Hendry: The conclusion of the Severn tidal power feasibility study was that the Government do not see a strategic case for public investment in a Severn tidal power scheme in the immediate term. However, the Government recognise that factors which will determine the feasibility of Severn tidal power could change over time, and the report contains potential triggers for a review, though it is not expected that a review will take place before 2015 at the earliest.
	The outcome of the feasibility study does not preclude a privately financed scheme coming forward in the meantime.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2011,  Official Report, column 704W, on solar power: feed-in tariffs,  (a) for what reasons he does not collect and  (b) if he will make it his policy to collect data on the revenue provided to the Exchequer from (i) tax and (ii) national insurance contributions attributable to the solar photovoltaic industry since the date of implementation of the feed-in tariff scheme.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply.
	HMRC do not monitor tax and national insurance receipts for individual industries at this level of classification detail.
	HMRC produce a breakdown of tax receipts by sector for PAYE IT and NIC1, corporation tax and VAT. These breakdowns record receipts at broad industry level (based on the ONS standard industrial classification or HMRC standard trade classification). The solar photovoltaic industry is not identified as a separate industry within the classification frameworks.
	Moreover receipts are recorded at company level (or scheme level for PAYE). If a company (or scheme) is engaged in a number of different activities it is not possible to split receipts between them and all receipts will tend to be allocated to its main activity. Receipts at detailed industry level are not therefore reliably measurable and are not published. This would apply to the solar photovoltaic industry even if the classification systems did identify this separately.

Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on the provision of support for small-scale photovoltaic generators using feed-in tariffs to enter the below 10KW market; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: The Government, working with industry, are developing a range of measures to support development of the microgeneration market, including the sub 10 kW solar photovoltaic sector. The Microgeneration Strategy consultation, which addresses the non-financial barriers affecting small scale renewables, closed on 16 March. We are now considering the responses and these will feed into a Microgeneration Strategy which will be published in early summer, setting out the steps that are required to address manufacturing, skills and supply chain issues for the full range of microgeneration technologies, available at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/microgen_strat/microgen_strat.aspx

Solar Power: Manufacturing Industries

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to support the development of the solar technology manufacturing sector.

Gregory Barker: The Microgeneration Strategy consultation addressed the non-financial barriers to the development of small scale renewables including solar. The consultation closed on 16 March. We are now considering the responses and these will feed into a Microgeneration Strategy which will be published in early summer, setting out the steps that are required to address manufacturing, skills and supply chain issues for the full range of microgeneration technologies.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Community Development

Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the evidential basis was for his assessment that the  (a) community right to challenge and  (b) community right to buy scheme would provide greater opportunities for community and voluntary groups to have a greater say over what happens in their local areas.

Andrew Stunell: Impact assessments for both the Community Right to Challenge and Community Right to Buy have been prepared and are available on the Department's website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/decentralisation/localismbill/

Council Housing: Birmingham

Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the Audit Commission plans to publish the report of its strategic inspection of the housing stock of Birmingham City Council initiated in November 2009.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member direct.
	 Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 28 March 2011:
	Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply.
	I assume the Honourable Member means Birmingham City Council's housing landlord services inspection that the Audit Commission started in March 2010. I can confirm the inspection was commenced last year. However, the report is the subject of a review at the request of Birmingham City Council. We are working to finalise the report, but we have not set a date for publication.

Council Tax Benefits: Pensioners

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether pensioner households will be subject to his Department's planned reduction to council tax benefit.

Bob Neill: In developing their plans for a new system for local council tax rebate schemes, the Government are clear that they are committed to retaining council tax support for the most vulnerable in society, in particular pensioners. A full consultation on the new system in England will be undertaken in due course.

Departmental Cycling

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many employees of his Department are participating in the Cycle to Work scheme.

Bob Neill: As at 31 March 2011 32 employees will be participating in the Department's Cycle to Work scheme. A total of 77 vouchers for bicycles and associated equipment have been issued since the scheme was launched in April 2009.

Departmental Redundancy

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many civil servants in his Department have been offered voluntary redundancy since April 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: Since April 2010 the Department for Communities and Local Government has offered 33 staff "Voluntary Redundancy" as defined by the new Civil Service Compensation Scheme. It is too early to say how many staff will accept these offers. A further 154 staff have accepted "Voluntary Exit". Prior to the commencement of the new terms, 134 staff left the Department on voluntary terms under the previous compensation scheme.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consultation his Department undertook with  (a) environmental groups and  (b) the construction industry prior to the announcement that new homes will not be required to be zero carbon.

Grant Shapps: From 2016, all new homes will be required to be zero carbon. What we are not going to do is to try to build in how many electrical appliances such as plasma TVs a homeowner may have. However, these appliances are already covered by other arrangements such as the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, so this will have no impact on the Government's carbon reduction strategy. What this will do is minimise costs to house builders, helping them to deliver the new homes the country needs.
	The Government do not usually consult on Budget related announcements. However, the Department has discussed the zero carbon policy, and the issues arising, with both environmental groups and the construction industry over a long period of lime through fora such as the 2016 task force, and through bodies such as the Zero Carbon Hub.
	The Zero Carbon Hub has recently provided expert recommendations on the right minimum levels of carbon reductions to be required to be delivered on the site of the home itself. Both house builders and environmental groups were involved in the preparation of these recommendations.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effect of removing the requirement for new homes to be zero carbon on the Government's carbon dioxide reduction strategy; and if he will make a statement.

Grant Shapps: From 2016, all new homes will be required to be zero carbon. What we are not going to do is to try to build in how many electrical appliances such as plasma TVs a homeowner may have. However, these appliances are already covered by other arrangements such as the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, so this will have no impact on the Government's carbon reduction strategy.
	The approach to the zero carbon standard announced in the Growth Review will not detract from the Government's carbon reduction strategy. Emissions from electrical appliances are being addressed through policies ranging from decarbonisation of the national grid and support for renewables to energy performance and labelling standards. Emissions from electrical appliances are also subject to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme arrangements. Given this, the approach on zero carbon homes will not change the UK's overall carbon budget obligations in respect of the sectors of the economy covered by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

Housing: Owner Occupation

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has any plans to work in partnership with  (a) the National House Building Council and  (b) other organisations to provide consumer protection for new home owners.

Grant Shapps: We are already working with the National House Building Council and other warranty bodies to improve consumer protection for new home buyers. The Council and other bodies launched a Consumer Code for Home Builders in April 2010. These bodies will shortly be reviewing this Code in the light of the first year's experience, and we will be working with them to consider further improvements.

Local Government: Broadcasting

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received in respect of filming at public meetings of local councils.

Bob Neill: My letter of 23 February 2011 to principal local authorities encouraging them to be more transparent by opening up their meetings to citizen journalists was prompted by a series of incidents, highlighted in the press and in social media, about people being ejected from council meetings for blogging, tweeting or filming, which I consider to be potentially at odds with the fundamentals of local democracy. I would reiterate my call to all councils to take a welcoming approach to those who want to bring local news stories to a wider audience. I have placed a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Local Government: Pay

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has  (a) made to and  (b) received from local authorities in respect of local authority staff salaries.

Bob Neill: The Government expect councils to show restraint when setting senior pay and the Secretary of State has called on those earning the largest salaries to take a voluntary pay cut-a reduction of 5% for those earning over £150,000 and a reduction of 10% for those earning over £200,000. He has also suggested that no new local authority chief executives should be recruited on a salary that exceeds the Prime Minister's current salary of £142,500. In addition, in October 2010, Ministers held a roundtable discussion with senior councillors and local authority representatives to discuss mechanisms for increasing accountability in the setting of senior pay in local government.
	The Secretary of State receives representations from local authorities on a broad range of issues. Of course, the Government's role in specific local government pay issues is extremely limited as they are, rightly, a matter for the individual councils as the employer. Councils must make sure, however, that their decisions on pay and work force are fully in the interests of communities they represent and give them the value for money they deserve.
	The Department has also been consulting on proposed new transparency arrangements to increase public scrutiny of senior salaries in local government. A summary of the consultation responses will be published in due course.

Public Buildings: Voluntary Organisations

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if his Department will provide training for non-facility owning sports clubs to assist in the transfer of publically-owned facilities to community-owned facilities; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: The Asset Transfer Unit, which is funded by the Department, has developed an interactive online asset transfer toolkit specifically aimed at sports clubs, as a result of a commission by Sport England. The toolkit will be launched in mid-April, and will provide a direct practical response to the growing demand for help from individual clubs, local authority sports and leisure departments, County Sports Partnerships and National Governing Bodies for individual sports. The Unit has also been involved in three linked county-wide training events, run by Sport England, as part of the same contracted programme.

Public Buildings: Voluntary Organisations

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many successful community asset transfers there have been in each of the last six months; and which assets have been so transferred.

Andrew Stunell: The following assets have been transferred with direct support from the Asset Transfer Unit, through the Advancing Assets for Communities programme funded by the Department:
	
		
			  Name of asset  Building type  Month 
			 Highfields Community Centre, Leicester Community Centre December 
			 Bideford Rugby Ground. Bideford, Devon Rugby Ground December 
			 Keighley Central Hall, Bradford Methodist Central Hall January 
		
	
	The Department does not hold information on assets transferred by local authorities or other bodies, which have not been directly supported by a DCLG programme.

Sportsgrounds: Planning Permission

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will assess the effects of local authority planning fees on the development of community sports facilities; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Clark: Research commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport into the regulatory burden on sport and recreation clubs was published this month. ('Red Card to Red Tape-How sports clubs want to break free from bureaucracy'). This highlighted planning fees as one of the burdens, especially for applications that cover a large site area.
	The Government recently consulted on proposals that would allow local authorities to set their own fees which recoup costs but do not exceed them.
	We are also legislating for Neighbourhood Plans and Development Orders that will offer the opportunity to simplify the planning process where development is supported by the community and avoid the need for subsequent planning applications.

Written Questions: Government Responses

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to respond to question 44110, on the answer to question 35814, tabled on 1 March 2011 for answer on 3 March 2011.

Bob Neill: Question 44110 was answered on 24 March 2011,  Official Report, column 1215W.

Zero Carbon Homes Task Force

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on how many occasions the Zero Carbon Homes Taskforce has met; what the  (a) composition and  (b) remit of the Taskforce is; what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the Taskforce since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Grant Shapps: From 2016, all new homes will be required to be zero carbon. What we are not going to do is to try to build in how many electrical appliances such as plasma TVs a homeowner may have. However, these appliances are already covered by other arrangements such as the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, so this will have no impact on the Government's carbon reduction strategy. What this will do is minimise costs to house builders, helping them to deliver the new homes the country needs.
	The 2016 task force is a senior-level body bringing together Government, industry and green groups to support development and implementation of the zero carbon homes policy. The task force meets approximately every six months and since 2007 has met 15 times. The task force is a voluntary body and the only costs incurred by the Department are for the administration support provided for meetings.
	 Terms of Reference:
	The 2016 task force is jointly-chaired by Stewart Baseley, Executive Chairman, Home Builders Federation and Richard McCarthy, Director General for Housing and Planning, Department for Communities and Local Government.
	The purpose of the task force is to act as a sounding board by:
	providing a forum for the exchange of information about the development of zero carbon homes policy and the views of DCLG's key partners in delivering the policy; and
	identifying barriers to implementation of the 2016 zero carbon homes policy and timeline, with a focus on energy supply, skills, capacity and supply chain issues, research and consumer attitudes, and propose measures to address them.
	The task force meets approximately every six months.
	 2016 task force membership
	Richard McCarthy-Director General, Housing and Planning, DCLG
	Stewart Baseley-Executive Chairman, Home Builders Federation
	John Slaughter-Director of External Affairs, Home Builders Federation.
	Paul King-Chief Executive, UK Green Building Council
	Michael Ankers-Chief Executive, Construction Products Association
	David Green-Chief Executive, UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy
	Martin Wheatley-Programme Director, Local Government Association
	Colin Butfield-Head of Campaigns, WWF-UK
	Kate Henderson-Chief Executive, Town and Country Planning Association
	Imtiaz Farookhi-Chief Executive, National House Building Council
	Stephen Muers-Head of policy and performance, Homes and Communities Agency
	Philip Selwood-Chief Executive, Energy Saving Trust
	Neil Jefferson-Chief Executive, Zero Carbon Hub
	David Adams-Director, Zero Carbon Hub
	David Wagstaff-Head of Distributed Energy, DECC

Zero Carbon Homes Task Force

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) discussions and  (b) correspondence (i) he and (ii) Ministers in his Department had with members of the Zero Carbon Homes Taskforce prior to the announcement that new homes will no longer be required to be zero carbon.

Grant Shapps: From 2016, all new homes will be required to be zero carbon. What we are not going to do is to try to build in how many electrical appliances such as plasma TVs a homeowner may have. However, these appliances are already covered by other arrangements such as the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, so this will have no impact on the Government's carbon reduction strategy. What this will do is minimise costs to house builders, helping them to deliver the new homes the country needs.
	The Government do not usually consult on Budget related announcements. However, DCLG Ministers have had a number of discussions and correspondence with members of the task force on the development and implementation of zero carbon policy.

EDUCATION

Academies: GCSE

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what proportion of year 11 academy pupils  (a) in total and  (b) in each academy were entered for (i) a history GCSE, (ii) a geography GCSE, (iii) a modern foreign language GCSE, (iv) a physics GCSE, (v) a chemistry GCSE, (vi) a biology GCSE, (vii) a science GCSE, (viii) an English GCSE, (ix) an English literature GCSE, (x) a mathematics GCSE, (xi) an OCR national level 2 qualification in information and communications technology and (xii) a diploma in digital applications in 2009-10; and how many in each category were entitled to free school meals;
	(2)  what proportion of year 11 academy pupils achieved at least  (a) five A* to C GCSEs, not including any other qualification judged to be equivalent and  (b) five A* to C GCSEs including English and mathematics but not including any other qualification judged equivalent to GCSEs for each academy in 2009-10; and how many such pupils were entitled to free school meals in each case.

Nick Gibb: Analysis of individual GCSE subject by grade, and the number of pupils achieving five GCSEs grade A* to C excluding equivalents for each school are due to be published on the 31 March 2011.
	We will place this information in the House Libraries when it has been published.

Academies: GCSE

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of Key Stage Four exam entries was in academic non-applied GCSEs in each school replaced by an academy in the last year of the school's existence; what the name of the academy was in each such case; and how many such students were in receipt of free school meals.

Nick Gibb: The information requested, for academies opened in 2010-11 is shown in the following table. Information for academies opened in earlier years can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Percentage of entries in academic non-applied GCSE subjects in schools replaced by an academy in the last year of the school's existence for academies opened in 2010/11 and the number of those pupils who were eligible for free school meals, 2010 
			  Academy name  Percentage of GCSE entries  Number of FSM 
			 Ashmole Academy 75.6 16 
			 Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet 98.4 (1)- 
			 Norton Hill School 78.1 10 
			 Somervale School Specialist Media Arts College 69.3 8 
			 Beths Grammar School 78.4 (1)- 
			 Erith Secondary School 50.6 30 
			 Darrick Wood School 69.1 15 
			 Kemnal Technology College (part of the Kemnal Trust) 75.3 19 
			 Brine Leas High School 66.2 12 
			 Sandbach High School and Sixth Form College 80.6 9 
			 The Fallibroome Academy 92.1 10 
			 Queen Elizabeth School 71.3 (1)- 
			 Challaston Academy 75.6 16 
			 Ivybridge Community College 75.2 20 
			 Uffculme School 83.0 5 
			 Kingsmead School 92.3 65 
			 King Harold School (part of the Kemnal Trust) 72.7 7 
			 Pate's Grammar School 97.8 3 
			 Sir Thomas Rich's School 97.7 3 
			 The Cotswold School 82.4 4 
			 Watford Grammar School for Boys 99.6 4 
			 Watford Grammar School for Girls 97.9 4 
			 Guru Nanak Sikh Voluntary Aided Secondary School 62.5 4 
			 Lampton School 71.7 36 
			 Castle Community College 47.5 14 
			 Dartford Grammar School 81.7 5 
			 Fulston Manor School 77.3 8 
			 Highsted Grammar School 90.4 6 
			 Orchards Academy 37.9 17 
			 Sandwich Technology School 36.3 25 
			 The Canterbury High School 30.1 26 
			 The Hayesbrook School 57.4 4 
			 The Westlands School 52.9 25 
			 Heckmondwike Grammar School 82.2 7 
			 Garforth Academy 59.1 16 
			 Branston Community Academy 61.6 5 
			 Caistor Grammar School 97.0 0 
			 Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School 84.0 5 
			 The Giles Academy 35.7 15 
			 Denbigh High School 53.3 76 
			 Fort Pitt Grammar School 58.5 8 
			 The Rochester Grammar School 82.4 (1)- 
			 Gosforth Academy 71.6 36 
			 Healing School, A Specialist Science and Foundation College 83.7 7 
			 Tollbar Academy 48.8 5 
			 Northampton School for Boys 94.8 4 
			 George Spencer Academy and Technology College 60.4 12 
			 Redhill Academy 70.8 32 
			 Arthur Mellows Village College 70.9 8 
			 Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre 87.7 31 
			 Chadwell Heath Academy 66.1 32 
			 Brinsworth Comprehensive School 79.9 36 
			 Wales High School 57.9 33 
			 Arden 74.3 4 
			 Tudor Grange Academy 72.8 (1)- 
			 Holyrood Academy 81.9 17 
			 Huish Episcopi Academy 78.0 16 
			 Westcliff High School for Boys 99.9 (1)- 
			 Kingsdale Foundation School 52.3 85 
			 The Charter School 66.6 21 
			 John Taylor High School 81.1 3 
			 Hartismere High School 65.4 8 
			 Samuel Ward Academy 63.6 12 
			 Audenshaw School 70.9 16 
			 Torquay Boys' Grammar School 91.5 3 
			 Urmston Grammar School 96.3 (1)- 
			 Hardenhuish School 78.0 6 
			 The Compton School Specialist Technology College 78.6 32 
			 Oldfield School 86.1 6 
			 Sharnbrook Upper School 82.8 12 
			 Bexley Grammar School 92.1 10 
			 Ninestiles School, an Academy 46.7 50 
			 Beaverwood School for Girls 76.9 14 
			 Bishop Justus Church of England School 73.7 11 
			 Coopers Technology College 66.3 33 
			 Dr Challoner's Grammar School 97.9 0 
			 Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe 96.7 4 
			 Comberton Academy Trust 77.0 16 
			 Linton Village College 75.9 5 
			 Bodmin College 52.6 23 
			 Kirk Hallam Community Technology and Sports College 81.0 19 
			 The Ecclesbourne School 88.8 0 
			 Colyton Grammar School 78.3 5 
			 Kingsbridge Academy 77.8 9 
			 Teign School 88.2 14 
			 Teignmouth Community School 67.8 14 
			 The Academy at Shotton Hall 34.0 50 
			 Chelmsford County High School for girls 97.7 (1)- 
			 Balcarras School 93.7 13 
			 John Kyrle High School and Sixth Form Centre Academy 74.3 13 
			 Wigmore School 55.1 6 
			 Hockerill Anglo-European College 85.6 (1)- 
			 The Broxbourne School 62.8 9 
			 Herne Bay High School 63.3 22 
			 Highworth Grammar School 96.2 4 
			 Sir Roger Manwood's School 99.4 7 
			 The Chatham and Clarendon Grammar School Federation 92.0 5 
			 The Chatham and Clarendon Grammar School Federation 99.1 4 
			 Tonbridge Grammar School 96.5 (1)- 
			 Weald of Kent Grammar School 93.9 (1)- 
			 Stockwell Park High School 45.8 125 
			 Clitheroe Royal Grammar School 95.5 (1)- 
			 Lancaster Girls' Grammar School 93.2 (1)- 
			 Morley High School 72.1 23 
			 De Aston School 55.3 11 
			 West Grantham Academy Charles Read Academy 52.9 (1)- 
			 West Grantham Academy St Hugh's 27.4 9 
			 William Farr Church of England Comprehensive School 94.0 0 
			 Rainham Academy 72.1 28 
			 Oakgrove School 80.4 14 
			 Wymondham College 82.2 (1)- 
			 Harrogate Grammar School 69.8 7 
			 Guilsborough School 82.5 10 
			 Sponne School 75.3 6 
			 The King's School (the Cathedral School) 85.6 (1)- 
			 Devonport High School for Boys 97.9 3 
			 Parkstone Grammar School 94.7 8 
			 Kendrick School 99.8 0 
			 Reading School 96.2 (1)- 
			 Slough Grammar School 94.2 9 
			 Whitburn Church of England Academy 81.3 15 
			 Southend High School for Boys 92.4 4 
			 Southend High School for Girls 90.6 (1)- 
			 Westcliff High School for Girls 85.4 9 
			 The de Ferrers Academy 66.1 25 
			 St Joseph's College 88.7 (1)- 
			 Debenham Church of England High School 97.5 4 
			 The Ockenden Academy 44.7 33 
			 Churston Ferrers Grammar School Academy 92.3 (1)- 
			 Torquay Girls' Grammar School 100.0 8 
			 Altrincham Grammar School for Boys 91.5 (1)- 
			 Sale Grammar School 98.0 6 
			 Wellacre Technology College 48.2 10 
			 Wellington School 92.1 12 
			 Ossett Academy and Sixth Form College 59.4 18 
			 Wakefield City Academy 46.7 28 
			 The Polesworth School 83.6 15 
			 Bishop Wordsworth's Grammar School 96.5 0 
			 Lavington School 96.1 3 
			 South Wilts Grammar School for Girls 98.4 (1)- 
			 Prince Henry's High School 66.8 15 
			 (1) Suppression due to small numbers.

Children in Care

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 8 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 1002-06W, on children in care, from what source the information in the answer was derived; and what factors he took into account when compiling the information given in the answer.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 22 March 2011
	The information provided about children who were reported as missing from their agreed placement was derived from the SSDA903 return which collects information on children looked after between 1 April and 31 March each year. This return is completed annually by 152 local authority social services departments in England. Information on looked after children is available in the Statistical First Release 'Children looked after by Local Authorities in England (including adoption and care leavers)-year ending 31 March 2010' which is available on the Department's website via the following link:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000960/index.shtml
	If an MP tables a PQ which would cost the Department more than £800 to answer we may decline to respond on the grounds that the Department would incur a disproportionate cost. This roughly equates to one person incurring three and a half days work. Answering the first part of the question took around one and a half days.
	The second part of the question asked about the type of placement from which looked after children went absent from. It was found, owing to the complex procedures required to extract and collate the data required, that producing the information would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.

Children: Disability

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department spent on mobility for disabled children in residential schools in each local authority area in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by local authority.

Nick Gibb: The Department does not hold the information requested. It is for local authorities to determine how they spend their funds locally.

Children: Television

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment he has made of the effect of  (a) communal and  (b) solitary viewing of television by children and young people on their (i) levels of exercise, (ii) academic achievement and (iii) social engagement.

Nick Gibb: The Department has not made an assessment of the effect on children and young people of communal TV viewing compared to solitary viewing. It has undertaken analysis of the amount of time spent watching TV and use of sports facilities (a proxy for levels of exercise), academic achievement and social engagement. This analysis has been placed in the Libraries.

Citizenship: Curriculum

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what his policy is on teaching of citizenship in the school curriculum; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 28 March 2011
	 The Government have launched a review of the national curriculum in January 2011. The new national curriculum will be based on a body of essential knowledge that children should be expected to acquire in key subjects during the course of their school career.
	The review will consider whether each of the following subjects-art and design and technology, citizenship, geography, history, ICT, modern foreign languages and music-should be part of the national curriculum, with statutory programmes of study, and if so at which key stages.

Curriculum: Information and Communications Technology

Anna Soubry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what consideration he has given to the designation of information and communications technology as a core subject as part of his Department's curriculum review.

Nick Gibb: Our intention is to produce a new slimmed down national curriculum which sets out the essential knowledge that all children should acquire, and gives teachers greater flexibility to decide how to teach this most effectively and to design a wider school curriculum that best meets the needs of their pupils.
	We have announced that the statutory core subjects-English, mathematics and science-will remain compulsory at all four key stages in future, along with physical education. For all other subjects, we believe it is right that there should be a debate about whether they should remain part of the national curriculum, with statutory programmes of study, or whether it should be for schools to decide the content of their courses in those subjects as well as the way they should be taught. The Government's national curriculum review panels are currently seeking views on these issues as part of its call for evidence for the review, and we will announce our proposals early next year. At that point there will be a further period of consultation before final decisions are taken.

Departmental Consultants

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department has spent on consultancy since May 2010.

Tim Loughton: The departmental spend on consultants between May 2010 and February 2011 (latest available figures) is £19,654,848. The equivalent figure between May 2009 and February 2010 was £43,087,119.

Departmental Contracts

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the change in the  (a) volume and  (b) monetary value of services provided by his Department and its predecessors which have been contracted out to (a) the third sector and (b) the private sector between January 2005 and December 2010.

Tim Loughton: To estimate the volume and monetary value of contractual and spend information for third sector and private sector suppliers from historical records could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Early Retirement

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many of his Department's staff have taken early retirement in each of the last five years; and at what cost to his Department in each such year.

Tim Loughton: Information for the Department is set out in the following table:
	
		
			   Number  Cost to Department (£ million) 
			 2005-06 118 12.6 
			 2006-07 84 8.3 
			 2007-08 58 5.5 
			 2008-09 38 3.7 
			 2009-10 101 14.8 
			 2010-11 61 5.0

Departmental Leaseback Arrangements

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assets his Department has sold and leased back over the last 12 months; what the sale price was of each asset so sold; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of leasing back each such asset over the period of the lease.

Tim Loughton: The Department has not sold and leased back any assets over the past 12 months.

Departmental Marketing

Conor Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the cost to the public purse was of the manufacture and distribution of Department-branded drinks coasters in the last year for which figures are available.

Tim Loughton: The Department has produced no branded drinks coasters.

Departmental Public Bodies

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Training and Development Agency for Schools.

Nick Gibb: The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), issued a written ministerial statement on 16 March 2011,  Official Report, column 9WS, updating Parliament on progress on public bodies reform. That statement also announced that Departments estimate cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion will flow from public bodies over the spending review period.
	The Department is committed to the Government's ambitions to reform public bodies, improve transparency and accountability, streamline services and reduce costs. It is too soon to be absolutely specific or able to provide a detailed breakdown of the savings that will be achieved by closing the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA). Across the spending review period, the savings from closing the TDA will contribute to the overall anticipated departmental savings of up to £673 million. I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given on 24 March 2011,  Official Report, column 1257W, to the hon. Member for Hemsworth (Jon Trickett).
	This is our best current estimate of planned net savings to emerge from these reforms and is dependent upon the individual timetables for implementation-the closure of the TDA requires the Education Bill.

Departmental Public Bodies

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Teachers TV Board of Governors.

Tim Loughton: The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), issued a written ministerial statement on 16 March 2011,  Official Report, column 9WS, updating Parliament on progress on public bodies reform. That statement also announced that departments estimate cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion will flow from public bodies over the spending review period.
	I estimate net overall administrative savings from the abolition of the Teachers TV Board of Governors over the spending review period of £150,000, based on the three years remaining on the contract.
	This is our best current estimate of planned net savings to emerge from these reforms, and is dependent upon the individual timetables for implementation-many of which require the Public Bodies Bill and subsequent secondary legislation.

Departmental Public Bodies

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the National College for Leadership of Schools and Children's Services.

Nick Gibb: The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), issued a written ministerial statement on 16 March 2011,  Official Report, column 9WS, updating Parliament on progress on public bodies reform. That statement also announced that Departments estimate cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion will flow from public bodies over the spending review period.
	The Department is committed to the Government's ambitions to reform public bodies, improve transparency and accountability, streamline services and reduce costs. It is too soon to be absolutely specific or to provide a detailed breakdown of the savings that will be achieved by withdrawing non-departmental public body (NDPB) status from the National College for Leadership of Schools and Children's Services. Across the spending review period, the savings from making these changes will contribute to the overall anticipated departmental savings of up to £673 million. I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given on 24 March 2011,  Official Report, column 1257W, to the hon. Member for Hemsworth (Jon Trickett).
	This is our best current estimate of planned net savings to emerge from these reforms and is dependent upon the individual timetables for implementation.

Departmental Public Bodies

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Children's Workforce Development Council.

Nick Gibb: The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), issued a written ministerial statement on 16 March 2011,  Official Report, column 9WS, on progress on public bodies' reform. That statement also announced that Departments estimate cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion will flow from public bodies over the spending review period.
	The Department is committed to the Government's ambitions to reform public bodies, improve transparency and accountability, streamline services and reduce costs. It is too soon to be specific or provide a detailed breakdown of the savings that will be achieved by withdrawing non-departmental public body (NDPB) status from the Children's Workforce Development Council. Across the spending review period, the savings from making these changes will contribute to the overall anticipated departmental savings of up to £673 million. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 24 March 2011,  Official Report, column 1257W, to the hon. Member for Hemsworth (Jon Trickett).

Departmental Public Bodies

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency.

Tim Loughton: The Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, my right hon. Friend the Member for Horsham (Mr Maude), issued a written ministerial statement on 16 March 2011,  Official Report, column 9WS, updating Parliament on progress on public bodies reform. That statement also announced that departments estimate cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion will flow from public bodies over the spending review period.
	I estimate net overall administrative savings from the abolition of BECTA over the spending review period of £210 million.

Departmental Recruitment

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many civil servants his Department has recruited during the period of the civil service recruitment freeze.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 24 March 2011
	Since the civil service recruitment freeze, the Department has recruited 16 people who are new to the civil service and 106 people from other Government Departments who were already civil servants. Over the same period, 163 people left the Department.

Departmental Redundancy

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many civil servants in his Department have been offered voluntary redundancy since April 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: Since April 2010, the number of the approved voluntary releases for staff in the Department is 141. These releases are part of continuing to deliver headcount reductions across the Department and were offered on voluntary flexible or approved terms, meaning the Department could fund these releases at a considerable lower cost to the public purse.

Departmental Written Questions

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of parliamentary questions for written answer were answered by his Department  (a) within one week of,  (b) within two weeks of,  (c) within three weeks of,  (d) within four weeks of,  (e) within five weeks of and  (f) more than five weeks after the date on which they were set down for answer since May 2010.

Tim Loughton: The information requested is shown in the following tables. The first table provides a breakdown on the number of questions answered up until 17 February 2011. The second table provides a breakdown of the number of questions answered since 28 February 2011.
	A technical error occurred to the IT system that supports the processing of parliamentary questions. This resulted in a delay to written answers issued prior to the February recess.
	
		
			  PQs answered May 2010 to 17 February 2011 
			   Number answered  Percentage 
			 Within 1 week 435 15 
			 Within 2 weeks 1,075 39 
			 Within 3 weeks 1,468 53 
			 Within 4 weeks 1,775 64 
			 Within 5 weeks 2,041 74 
			 Six weeks after date set for answer 2,772 100 
		
	
	The Department has answered 731 (26%) written questions at least six weeks after the date on which they were set down for answer between May 2010 and 17 February 2011.
	
		
			  PQs answered 28 February 2011 to 24 March 2011 
			   Number answered  Percentage 
			 Within 1 week 174 56 
			 Within 2 weeks 269 86 
			 Within 3 weeks 305 97 
			 Within 4 weeks 313 100 
		
	
	Since the House returned on 28 February 2011 the Department has answered over 800 questions.

Education: Children

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the UK Resilience Programme in developing children's values.

Nick Gibb: The Department is concluding its evaluation of the UK Resilience programme, a pilot which started in September 2007. It was aimed at Year 7 pupils in 22 secondary schools across three local authorities: Hertfordshire, Manchester and South Tyneside. We expect that the final report from the evaluation will be published shortly. This will build on interim evaluation reports published in 2009 and 2010.

Education: EU Action

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the Education Council's conclusions on the role of education and training in the implementation of the Europe 2020 Strategy, how often the UK will be required to report progress in implementing its national reform programme; and what assessment he has made of the  (a) burdens and  (b) costs attributable to this measure.

Nick Gibb: As part of the Europe 2020 strategy, the UK and other EU member states submit a national reform programme in April each year. This includes a report on the role of education and training in the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy. The Department has made no specific assessment of the burdens and costs of this exercise. However, the resources required are met from within the Department's existing budget.

Education: VAT

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the level of value added tax receipts from  (a) schools and  (b) sixth form colleges in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested is not available.
	The provision of free education is not a business activity for VAT purposes, and therefore is not subject to VAT. Education provided in fee-paying schools is exempt from VAT. However, schools and sixth form colleges, in common with everyone else, are liable to pay VAT on the taxable goods and services they purchase.
	Schools in the state sector are currently funded for the VAT they pay on their purchases either through up-front central Government funding or, in the case of local authority controlled schools, through a statutory refund scheme. The forthcoming Finance Bill will make similar provision for the refund of VAT to academy schools.

English Baccalaureate

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent discussions he has had on the introduction of a certificated English Baccalaureate qualification.

Nick Gibb: The English Baccalaureate recognises pupils' performance in GCSEs and iGCSEs. It is not a qualification itself. The Secretary of State for Education has not held any recent discussions on certification of the English Baccalaureate. Officials have been in contact with a range of interested parties.

Free School Meals: Totnes

Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what proportion of pupils in  (a) Totnes constituency,  (b) South Devon and  (c) England qualify for free school meals;
	(2)  how many children in  (a) Totnes constituency,  (b) South Devon,  (c) the South West and  (d) England received (i) free school meals and (ii) education maintenance allowance in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: The number and percentage of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals is shown in the tables. The answer includes full-time pupils aged 0 to 15 and part-time pupils aged 5 to 15.
	It is not known how many pupils are eligible for free school meals but do not claim.
	The question of how many children in Totnes constituency, south Devon, the south-west and England received EMA is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the education maintenance allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener, the YPLA's chief executive, has written to the hon. Member for Totnes with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	
		
			  Maintained nursery, maintained primary( 1) , state-funded secondary( 1,2)  and special( 3)  schools: school meal arrangements( 4,5)  as at January 2010 in Totnes parliamentary constituency, Devon local authority, south-west Government office region and England 
			   Totnes parliamentary constituency  Devon local authority 
			   N umber  on roll( 4,5)  Number  of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals( 4,5)  Percentage  known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals  Number  on roll( 4,5)  Number  of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals( 4,5)  Percentage  known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			 Maintained nursery and maintained primary(1) 5,320 780 14.6 49,790 5,990 12.0 
			 State-funded secondary(1,2) 5,830 730 12.5 37,690 3,940 10.4 
			 Special(3) 60 20 29.5 770 170 21.9 
		
	
	
		
			   South-west Government office region  England 
			   Number  on roll( 4,5)  Number  of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals( 4,5)  Percentage  known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals  Number  on roll( 4,5)  Number  of pupils known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals( 4,5)  Percentage  known to be eligible for and claiming free school meals 
			 Maintained nursery and maintained primary(1) 357,850 47,470 13.3 3,838,680 711,410 18.5 
			 State-funded secondary(1,2) 281,730 29,460 10.5 2,864,350 441,140 15.4 
			 Special(3) 6,570 1,970 29.9 78,330 27,330 34.9 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. (2) Includes city technology colleges and academies. (3) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools. Excludes general hospital schools. (4) Includes sole and dual (main) registrations. (5) Includes pupils who have full-time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part-time attendance and are aged between five and 15 (age as at 31 August 2009).  Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: School Census 
		
	
	 Letter from Peter Lauener, dated 24 March 2011:
	I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question PQ47599 that asked:
	"How many children in (a) Totnes constituency, (b) South Devon, (c) the South West and (d) England received (i) free school meals and (ii) education maintenance allowance in the latest period for which figures are available."
	The Department of Education has responded to you regarding the first part of your question. I have been asked to provide a reply to the latter part of your question regarding how many children in Totnes constituency, South Devon, the South West and England have received Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) in the latest period for which figures are available.
	Information on the number of young people who have received EMA is available for upper tier local authorities but not by constituency or by local authority ward.
	EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payments in the academic year.
	The table below shows take-up as at 28 February 2011.
	
		
			   Number 
			 Devon 8,652 
			 South West 57,693 
			 England 628,751 
		
	
	EMA take-up data showing the number of young people who have received one or more EMA payments during 2004/05, 2005/06, 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09 and 2009/10 is available on the YPLA website, at the following address:
	http://ema.ypla.gov.uk/resources/research/takeup/

GCSE

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the name is of each GCSE and GCSE equivalent qualification which was available between 1995 to 2010; and for each such year what the  (a) GCSE equivalent for league table purposes was and  (b) how many (i) entries for (ii) passes and (iii) passes at grades A* to C there were for each such qualification.

Nick Gibb: Data for 2010 has been placed in the House Libraries, data for other years can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

GCSE

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of students who were  (a) eligible and  (b) not eligible for free school meals were entered for GCSE examinations in (i) English language, (ii) mathematics, (iii) two sciences, (iv) a foreign language, (v) a humanities subject and (vi) all of these subjects in each year since 1997.

Nick Gibb: The available information is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of GCSE( 1)  entries grades by free school meal eligibility. Years: 2009 (final data) to 2010 (amended data). Coverage: England, maintained schools (including academies and CTCs) 
			   Pupils known to be eligible for free school meals  Pupils not eligible for free school meals  All pupils( 3) 
			   2009  2010  2009  2010  2009  2010 
			 All pupils 74,419 77,324 504,377 500,640 578,840 578,063 
			
			  GCSE entries by subject   
			  English   
			 Number 67,385 71,235 487,493 486,623 554,912 557,951 
			 Percentage of pupils 90.5 92.1 96.7 97.2 95.9 96.5 
			
			  Mathematics   
			 Number 68,168 71,932 489,495 488,707 557,700 560,732 
			 Percentage of pupils 91.6 93.0 97.0 97.6 96.3 97.0 
			
			  At least two sciences( 4)   
			 Number 33,138 33,039 338,876 332,950 372,027 366,025 
			 Percentage of pupils 44.5 42.7 67.2 66.5 64.3 63.3 
			  Humanities( 5)   
			 Number 21,911 22,760 255,981 253,164 277,903 275,956 
			 Percentage of pupils 29.4 29.4 50.8 50.6 48.0 47.7 
			
			  Modern Languages   
			 Number 19,044 18,688 220,236 214,696 239,293 233,420 
			 Percentage of pupils 25.6 24.2 43.7 42.9 41.3 40.4 
			
			  All of the above subjects   
			 Number 6,332 6,326 122,690 121,037 129,024 127,374 
			 Percentage of pupils 8.5 8.2 24.3 24.2 22.3 22.0 
			 (1) Number of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4. (2) Includes pupils for w horn free school meal eligibility could not be determined. (3) Pupils who were entered for GCSEs in either Double award Science, both Core Science (or Single) Science and Additional Science, or in at least two of the following GCSEs: Physics, Chemistry, Biological Science. (4 )Pupils who were entered for GCSE in History, Geography or both subjects. There is no set definition of 'Humanities', this definition is in line with the proposed English Baccalaureate. (5) Pupils who were entered for GCSE in at least one of the following subjects: French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Modern Greek, Portuguese, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Gujarati, Japanese, Modern Hebrew, Panjabi, Polish, Russian, Turkish, Urdu, Persian.  Source: National Pupil Database 
		
	
	The additional data are not currently available, the Department will-be-conducting new analysis to prepare the data from 2003 and will place a copy in the House Libraries once it has been completed. However, pupil level characteristics data are not available before 2002.

National Citizen Service: Walthamstow

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects the National Citizen Service pilot project to be implemented in Walthamstow constituency; and how many places he expects the project to provide in that constituency.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 11 October 2011
	NCS pilots are operating in a number of locations across England in summer 2011 The Football League Trust, one of the 12 pilot providers, will be delivering 100 places in the borough of Waltham Forest, which includes Walthamstow.
	Further information on the NCS pilots can be found at:
	www.direct.gov.uk/nationalcitizenservice

Ofsted: Disclosure of Information

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the policy of Ofsted is on disclosing to police forces on request information on the names and addresses of children's homes in a police force area; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 18 March 2011
	This is a matter for Ofsted. HM chief inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 17 March 2011:
	Your recent Parliamentary Question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for response.
	Ofsted does not have any express powers to share information with police forces in these circumstances. The Care Standards Act 2000 (Registration) (England) Regulations 2010, which came into force on 1 October 2010, make it clear that Ofsted can routinely share certain information relating to children's homes, including their addresses, only with local authorities. However, if the police require information about the location of a children's home for a specific reason, for example relating to a particular setting where a child or children's safety may be an issue, Ofsted will always provide information to the local police force and do so rapidly.
	A copy of this reply has been sent to Tim Loughton MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families, and will be placed in the library of both Houses.

Public Appointments: Pay

Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what public appointments he has made since his appointment; and to what payments each person so appointed is entitled.

Tim Loughton: Information on key public appointments made since May 2010 is published in individual press releases. These should include information on remuneration. Press releases are available at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews
	In addition, information on the gender of those serving on the boards of public bodies is published annually. Information for the 2010-11 period will be published in due course.
	Information on the Department's public appointments and payment terms has been placed in the House Libraries.

Pupils: Absenteeism

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will permit children with at least 95 per cent. attendance at school to take a week or less holiday during term-time without incurring a financial penalty.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 25 January 2011
	 Tackling absenteeism in schools is a crucial part of the Government's commitment to improving discipline, raising standards and ensuring every child can meet their potential. There is clear evidence that any absence from school can have an impact on pupils' attainment. The aim should, therefore, be 100% attendance in school, except for reasons of illness or special circumstances such as the inflexibility of leave patterns for parents which make it impossible to take family holidays outside of term time, this is provided for under the pupil registration regulations.

Qualifications, Curriculum and Development Authority

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education when he expects the tendering process to begin for functions performed by the Qualifications, Curriculum and Development Authority; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 23 March 2911
	 We are in the process of reducing the number of arm's length bodies (ALBs) and improving accountability. That process involves reviewing the functions carried out by each ALB and, for those functions that will continue, determining the most appropriate method of delivery. In most cases, delivery will be through new Executive agencies which are more directly accountable within the Department. The review of QCDA's functions has been completed and there are no plans to put QCDA's functions out to tender commercially.
	In terms of the commercial contracts which underpin each of the continuing functions, we are currently assessing each existing contract to determine the necessary action. This could be to terminate, novate, extend or re-tender, depending on the requirements of the Executive agency and the position of the contract. The national curriculum testing contract has already gone through the review process and is currently part of an  Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) tender exercise which aims to award a new one year contract (with the option to extend for a further year) for the testing service requirements.

Qualifications, Curriculum and Development Authority

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  when he last met representatives of the Qualifications, Curriculum and Development Authority to discuss the transition of that body's responsibilities;
	(2)  when he last met representatives of the Public and Commercial Services Union to discuss redundancies that will result from the abolition of the Qualifications, Curriculum and Development Authority; and what his most recent estimate is of the number of employees who will be  (a) transferred to other bodies and  (b) made redundant.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 23 March 2011
	Responsibility for closing and transferring the functions of the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency (QCDA) rests with me, as the Minister of State for Schools. I met a cross-section of QCDA staff working on statutory assessment and testing on 16 March 2011. We discussed current delivery as well as plans to establish the Standards and Testing Agency.
	Neither the Secretary of State for Education nor Ministers have met with the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union. However, officials in the Department and staff in QCDA with responsibility for the transition, are now engaged in consultation as part of a voluntary redundancy scheme. Where functions are transferring, individuals who work predominantly on those functions will have a right to transfer to the Department under the Cabinet Office Statement of Practice on Staff Transfers in the Public Sector (COSOP). We will-provide further detail as to the number of redundancies and transfers once members of staff, through the consultation process, have first been informed as to whether or not they will transfer.

Religion: GCSE

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of students who took GCSE examinations in religious education, religious studies or similar subjects also took GCSE examinations in history or geography in the academic year 2009-10.

Nick Gibb: In the academic year 2009-10, the percentage of pupils who took GCSE Religious Education, Religious Studies or similar subjects who also took GCSE History or GCSE Geography was 15.9%.
	This figure covers pupils at the end of key stage 4 in all schools (including independent schools as well as hospital schools and pupil referral units) and is derived from the 2010 school and college performance tables.

Schools: Admissions

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department has any plans to revise the school admissions code.

Nick Gibb: In November 2010 we published the White Paper, "The Importance of Teaching" which announced our intention to review the School Admissions and Appeals Codes, with a view to deliver a simpler, more streamlined admissions process.
	We want to deliver a process that removes unnecessary burdens on schools and other admission authorities, as well as helping parents better understand and navigate the admissions system. The current codes are 130 pages long, and contain more than 660 mandatory requirements.
	We will shortly launch a national consultation so that parents and other stakeholders can respond to our proposals to enable a simpler, fairer and more transparent admissions framework.

Schools: Discipline

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to improve school discipline in  (a) Portsmouth South and Southsea constituency and  (b) England.

Nick Gibb: Raising standards of behaviour in our schools is a key priority for the coalition Government. It goes to the root of how we raise standards, and it lies at the heart of our determination to close the attainment gap between those from poor and wealthier backgrounds.
	The Education Bill sets out reforms to tackle bad behaviour, making it easier to impose no notice detentions, extending search powers for items which disrupt teaching, and making it easier for heads to expel violent or persistently disruptive pupils.
	For these reforms to work it is important that teachers understand what the law says and know that the Government is on their side. That is why the Government are revising and reissuing the whole suite of behaviour guidance, which currently runs to over 700 pages. The guidance will be reduced to a length that busy teachers can actually read and make it clear what schools have to do, should do, and can choose to do.
	Taken together, these measures will help to improve behaviour in schools in his constituency and across the country.

Schools: Finance

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Education by what date he expects to introduce a national funding formula for individual schools.

Nick Gibb: In our White Paper "The Importance of Teaching" we said our long-term aim was to move to a national funding formula. We will publish a consultation this spring on the merits of moving to such a formula, the right time to begin the transition to a formula, the transitional arrangements necessary to ensure that schools and local authorities do not suffer undue turbulence, and the factors to take into account in order to assess the needs of pupils for funding purposes.

Schools: Sports

Gerry Sutcliffe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many schools in Bradford South constituency will be affected by the decision to end school sports partnerships.

Tim Loughton: All schools across the country, including those in the Bradford South constituency, will benefit from the planned changes in the Government's approach to school sport. Funding of £47 million has just been paid to school sport partnerships to fund their work up until the end of the summer term 2011. This is on top of £71 million which was paid to partnerships in October last year. In addition, further new funding of £65 million will be paid to secondary schools, including those in Bradford South, over the next two academic years. This will pay for the release of a PE teacher for one day a week to work with local primary schools to improve provision for competitive sport in their own school and in local primary schools.
	Furthermore, at the Sports Colleges Conference in Telford in February, the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport announced outline plans for a network of school games organisers from September 2011. These organisers will be funded by the Department of Health and Sport England for three days a week to help schools sign up for the nationwide school games. Further details will be announced shortly.
	Taken together, this package of funding will enable schools to maximise the opportunities for competitive sport that they provide for their pupils.

Schools: Sports

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what representations he has received from local authorities on planned changes in his Department's expenditure on school sport.

Tim Loughton: We have received no representations direct from local authorities specifically about changes in funding for school sport.

Schools: Sports

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what plans he has for monitoring and evaluation of future school sport partnerships.

Tim Loughton: The Department is not funding school sport partnerships after this school year, and therefore we have no plans to monitor or evaluate them in future. Instead, the Government will make available £65 million of new funding for schools to enable them to provide more opportunities for competitive sports. This funding will pay for one day a week of a secondary PE teacher's time to be spent out of the classroom, encouraging greater take-up of competitive sport in primary schools and securing a fixture network for schools to increase the amount of intra and inter-school competition.
	We have also lifted the previous Administration's requirements on schools to meet national targets, to monitor all pupils in all schools, and to complete an annual survey, as we think these were unnecessarily burdensome. Freeing schools from these requirements will give them more time to organise competitive sport for all pupils.

Science: GCSE

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of people resident in the Peterborough local education authority area have been entered for triple science GCSEs since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 17 March 2011
	The number and percentage of pupils entered for physics, chemistry and biology GCSEs who attend schools in Peterborough local authority we give in the following table. Figures for the other years can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   Number of pupils entered for triple science GCSEs  Percentage of pupils entered for triple science GCSEs (percentage) 
			 2001 39 2 
			 2004 24 1 
			 2007 103 5 
			 2010 435 20 
			  Note: 1. Figures prior to 2005 relate to 15 year olds (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August). 2. Figures from 2007 onwards relate to pupils at the end of key stage 4 in all schools.

Stress

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what arrangements are in place in his Department to  (a) reduce levels of work-based stress and  (b) provide assistance to staff diagnosed with such stress.

Tim Loughton: The Department is committed to the well-being of its employees. It has a number of procedures in place to reduce stress at work, and regularly updates its Workforce Well-Being policies and practices for tackling sickness absence, including stress experienced in the workplace, and makes them available to staff on the Department's intranet.
	The Department's policies, guidance and management information systems are designed for early identification of work-related stress to help managers and individuals take the appropriate action quickly, and where appropriate, make use of the Department's professional occupational health providers.

Teachers: Qualifications

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will assess the merits of convergence for  (a) Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills and  (b) Qualified Teacher status.

Nick Gibb: Professor Wolf, as part of her review of vocational education, is looking at work force issues including the role of QTLS-holding teachers in schools. We will consider the matter further when we have received Professor Wolfs report in the spring.

Teachers: Qualifications

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education if he will bring forward proposals to enable teachers with Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills status to teach vocational subjects in schools at the same salary level as teachers with Qualified Teacher status.

Nick Gibb: Following her review of vocational education, Professor Wolf recommended that Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) status should be recognised in schools for the delivery of vocational education. The Secretary of State for Education immediately accepted this recommendation.
	We will consult fully on any amendments to the existing regulations and give schools adequate notice of any legislative changes. QTLS holders should be able to teach vocational subjects in schools as soon as possible subject to statutory requirements and parliamentary process.

Teenage Pregnancy

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of girls  (a) in care and  (b) not in care aged between 13 and 19 gave birth in each of the last 10 years.

Tim Loughton: Information on the number of looked-after girls who are mothers is available in table A5 of the Department's Statistical First Release Children looked after in England (including adoption and care leavers) year ending 31 March 2010. This publication is available at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000960/index.shtml
	The earliest year for which this information is available is 2005. The percentage of looked-after girls aged between 13 and 19 who are mothers, for the year 2005 to 2010 is included in table 1.
	
		
			  Table 1: Proportion of girls in care aged between 13 to 19 who gave birth during the year ending 31 March 2005 - 10, England 
			   Percentage 
			 2005 3 
			 2006 3 
			 2007 3 
			 2008 3 
			 2009 3 
			 2010 3 
			  Notes: 1. Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number. 2. Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements. 3. Historical data may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments and corrections sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials.  Source: SSDA903. 
		
	
	Information on the proportion of girls not in care who gave birth is not available. Estimates for all girls aged 14 to 19 who have given birth have been provided by the Office for National Statistics, this is shown in table 2. Please note that comparable information for girls aged 13 to 19 is not available.
	
		
			  Table 2: Estimated women and mothers aged 14 to 19, England and Wales 
			   2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			 Female population aged 14 to 19 inclusive (from ONS mid-year population estimates) 2,045,590 2,049,770 2,050,620 2,039,520 2,024,420 
			 Estimated number of women aged 14 to 19 who have had at least one live birth 45,600 44,330 44,150 43,130 42,630 
			 Percentage of women aged 14 to 19 who have had at least one live birth 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.1 
			  Notes: 1. Estimates of the number of women who have had at least one live birth are from an ONS birth order model that combines data from birth registrations with survey data on fertility histories to estimate birth order, and then combines these with population estimates to produce the female population by parity. 2. The percentage of women in a particular age group who have had at least one live birth (i.e. are mothers) is not the same as a birth rate for that age group, which would show the proportion of women who give birth in a specific calendar year. 3. Because the percentage of women with at least one birth increases with age, any comparison of the figures above with figures for females in care may be affected if the female population in care aged 14-19 has a different age structure from the overall female population aged 14-19. 4. Estimates have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: Fertility and Family Analysis Unit, Office for National Statistics.

UK Youth Parliament

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department provided to the UK Youth Parliament in  (a) 2009-10 and  (b) 2010-11; how much it plans to make available to the UK Youth Parliament in (i) 2011-12 and (ii) 2012-13; what further plans he has for funding allocations to arrangements for the UK Youth Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 17 March 2011
	In 2009-10 and 2010-11 grants of £350,000 and £500,000 respectively were provided to support UK Youth Parliament activities from the Department's Children, Young People and Families Grant.
	The Government will provide continuing support into 2011-12 to the UK Youth Parliament. Following a limited competitive bidding exercise the Department for Education proposes to award a grant of £335,000 to the British Youth Council to continue the UK Youth Parliament's key functions and sustain its independence and distinct identity for six months from April 2011. This will secure continued support for the work of the 600 young people who are Members of the Youth Parliament or their Deputies. In the meantime, a short-term grant of £65,000 will be offered to the current host charity for the UK Youth Parliament, Democracy for Young People Ltd, to enable it to deliver a smooth transition. The Government are considering what arrangements would be appropriate to sustain the UK Youth Parliament in the longer term. I am pleased that the Speaker of the House of Commons has confirmed continuing support for the UK Youth Parliament in 2011-12 including for the annual debate in the Commons chamber.
	Giving young people a voice in public decisions which affect them is a key principle underpinning the Government's youth policy. Members of the UK Youth Parliament make a valuable contribution to making the voices of young people heard within formal democratic processes and these measures will ensure that their work can continue.

Vocational Education

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education with reference to the letter of 9 September 2010 to Professor Alison Wolf, whether she has delivered to him an interim report on her review of vocational education; and if he will publish the interim report.

Nick Gibb: The Wolf Review of Vocational Education reported on 3 March 2011. The Government are very grateful to Professor Wolf for such a valuable piece of work. We are now considering her recommendations and will publish a formal response this spring.

Vocational Education

Nadhim Zahawi: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many vocational qualifications were available at level  (a) 1,  (b) 2 and  (c) 3 and equivalents to young people in schools and colleges in England in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2010.

Nick Gibb: For the academic year 1996/97 the number of available vocational qualifications for levels 1, 2 and 3 in schools and colleges was:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Level 1 328 
			 Level 2 965 
			 Level 3 961 
		
	
	The total for the academic year was 2,254
	For the academic year 2009/10 the number of available vocational qualifications for levels 1, 2 and 3 in schools and colleges approved under Section 96 of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 was:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Level 1 1,114 
			 Level 2 2,446 
			 Level 3 2,060 
		
	
	The total for the year was 5,620
	The 2009/10 data are affected by the transition of qualifications from the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) to the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). This means that some qualifications may appear in the data twice, once under the NQF and once under the QCF. It is estimated that this duplication may have inflated the figures for 2009/10 by around 10%.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Aimhigher Programme

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many potential students the Aimhigher programme reached in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 24 March 2011,  Official Report, column 1298W.

Apprentices: Finance

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what consideration he has given to increasing funding for apprenticeships in the process and manufacturing sector.

John Hayes: As part of Budget 2011, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £180 million package for 50,000 extra apprenticeship places, including 10,000 advanced level and higher apprenticeships targeted at smaller employers. This means that this Government will deliver at least 250,000 more apprenticeships over the next four years, compared to the previous Government's plans.
	Part of this package was developed as an outcome of the growth review and although it is aimed at all business sectors, the additional advanced and higher level places are expected to particularly benefit the advanced manufacturing industry and its supply chain.

Arms Trade: Exports

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many licences were granted for the export of controlled goods to Saudi Arabia where the Saudi Arabian National Guard was the end user in each year since 2007.

Mark Prisk: Information provided in export licence applications (such as names of end users and third parties) is confidential. However, the Government publish general information on export licences in the annual and quarterly reports on strategic export controls. These reports contain detailed information on export licences issued, refused or revoked, by destination, including the overall value, type (eg military, other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences. They are available to view on the Strategic Export Controls: Reports and Statistics website at
	https://www.exportcontroldb.berr.gov.uk/eng/fox
	Currently this includes information up to 30 September 2010. Information covering 1 October to 31 December 2010 will be published in April 2011.

Business: Berkshire

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with how many business organisations in  (a) Reading West constituency,  (b) Reading and  (c) Berkshire his Department has had discussions since his appointment.

Mark Prisk: The information requested is not held centrally within the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Business Link South East has advised that in the period May 2010 to the end of February 2011 they provided assistance (via meetings, telephone calls or electronic activity-e.g. meaningful website usage) to the following number of unique businesses.
	
		
			  Area  Number of businesses assisted 
			 Berkshire 8,313 
			 Reading 1,529

Business: Closures

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of businesses which have failed in each of the last three years in circumstances directly attributable to the actions of officials in Government Departments.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 28 March 2011
	Official Statistics published by the Office for National Statistics show that the total number of enterprise deaths in the last three years are 223,600 in 2007, 221,185 in 2008 and 279,180 in 2009. Data for 2010 are due for publication later this year.
	No information is held on the direct attributable cause of business failure.

Business: North East

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with how many business organisations in  (a) the North East,  (b) Teesside and  (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency his Department has had discussions since his appointment.

Mark Prisk: The information requested is not held centrally within the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Business Link North East has advised that in the period May 2010 to the end of February 2011, they provided assistance (via meetings, telephone calls or electronic activity e.g. meaningful website usage) to the following number of unique businesses.
	
		
			  Area  Number of businesses assisted 
			 North East 17,896 
			 Teesside (Tees Valley) 3,893 
			 Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland 416

Business: Regulation

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many  (a) men and  (b) women are employed in businesses with fewer than 10 employees excluding sole proprietors.

Edward Davey: holding answer 22 March 2011
	The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills does not hold information on the number of men and women employed in businesses with fewer than 10 employees. We estimate that, in total, there are 3,764,000 employees within businesses with fewer than 10 employees in the UK.
	The Office for National Statistics produces official statistics on employees, but is unable at present to produce a breakdown by gender and business size.

Departmental Offices

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 15 February 2011,  Official Report, column 736W, on departmental offices, what further discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the scope for sharing his Department's proposed regional offices with that Department.

Mark Prisk: No further discussions with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr Pickles) have taken place on this issue. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) teams are being located wherever possible in BIS or BIS agency locations, in order to achieve maximum cost-effectiveness and operational efficiency as follows:
	With the Skills Funding Agency in Birmingham, Bristol, Gateshead and Manchester
	In a number of locations, the BIS teams will continue to be based in the former Government office locations (until BIS estate is available) in Cambridge, Guildford, Leeds and Nottingham

Departmental Redundancy

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many civil servants in his Department have been offered voluntary redundancy since April 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: Since April 2010, 251 people have been offered voluntary redundancy, This is part of an ongoing scheme to reduce the Department's administrative costs in tine with its budget for the comprehensive spending review period. The number who leave the Department under this scheme will depend on how many accept their offers.

Departmental Regulation

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Vale of Glamorgan of 16 March 2011,  Official Report, column 433W, on business: regulations, how many of the regulations were revoked in the period between 4 and 28 February 2011.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 24 March 2011
	The Protection of Freedoms Bill includes provision to repeal the following powers of entry:
	Article 22 of the Distribution of German Enemy Property (No. 1) Order 1950
	Regulation 24(6) of the Gas Appliances (Safety) Regulations 1995.
	The Bill was presented to Parliament on 11 February.
	In addition, the three Companies Fees regulations:
	The Registrar of Companies (Fees)(Companies, Overseas Companies and Limited Liability Partnerships)(Amendment) Regulations 2011
	The Registrar of Companies (Fees) (Limited Partnerships)(Amendment) Regulations 2011
	The Registrar of Companies (Fees)(European Economic Interest Grouping) (Amendment) Regulations 2011
	which were laid before Parliament on 14 February revise the existing provisions from 6 April with the result of £1.2 million annual savings for businesses.

Education: English Language

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how many students on English for Speakers of Other Languages courses were asylum seekers in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  what recent estimate he has made of the number of asylum seekers with children who receive full fee remission on the cost of English for Speakers of Other Languages courses.

John Hayes: We do not explicitly record in the system learners who are asylum seekers. We do, however, collect information on why a learner has received fee remission for any Government funded learning they undertake. A category within this variable is available for providers to record a claim for an asylum seeker who is eligible for funding and is also in receipt of the equivalent of an income-based state benefit.
	From this data we can provide some information on learners who are in receipt of full fee remission through being an asylum seeker in receipt of the equivalent of an income-based state benefit. This should be used with caution given it neither provides an accurate picture about the level of learners who are asylum seekers, nor what other learning or benefit entitlements that learner may have.
	The following table shows the number of adults participating on an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course who received full fee remission due to being an asylum seeker eligible for funding and being in receipt of the equivalent of an income-based state benefit.
	Data is shown from 2005/06, the earliest year for which we have comparable data to 2009/10, the latest year for which full-year data is available.
	
		
			  Number of adults (19+) participating on ESOL courses who were in receipt of full fee-remission due to being an asylum seeker eligible for funding and in receipt of the equivalent of an income-based state benefit, 2005/06 to 2009/10 (near-final data) 
			   Total 
			 2005/06 9,450 
			 2006/07 7,390 
			 2007/08 6,780 
			 2008/09(1) 7,230 
			 2009/10(1) (Near-final) 7,020 
			 (1) Figures for 2008/09 onwards are not directly comparable to earlier years as the introduction of demand led funding has changed how data is collected and how funded learners are defined. More Information on demand led funding is available at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/businessdefinitions/Demand+Led+Funding.htm  Notes: 1. This data covers participation in Learner Responsive, apprenticeships, Train to Gain, Adult Safeguarded Learning and University for Industry provision. Further education/Learner Responsive provision includes general further education colleges including tertiary, sixth form colleges-agricultural and horticultural colleges and art and design colleges, specialist colleges and external institutions. 2. Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: Individualised Learner Record. 
		
	
	Information is not collected on the number of asylum seekers with children studying ESOL courses.
	Information on participation on ESOL courses is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 January 2010:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current

Employment Agencies: Training

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of individuals who are no longer considered unemployed by virtue of their acceptance on training schemes secured via private employment agencies in the last 12 months.

John Hayes: Information on the number of learners on training schemes secured via private employment agencies is not collected centrally.

Employment: EU Law

Mark Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the contribution to the economy of flexibility in the UK labour market; and if he will make it his policy to maintain such flexibility in future negotiations on EU legislation.

Edward Davey: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in its seminal Job Study Review in 2006 identified the UK as a "successful employment performer". It also identified the UK as having one of the least onerous employment regulation systems. But perceptions can matter as much as facts or figures. We must make it clear that Britain is open for business and that employers need not fear taking on employees. The Government have just announced a number of measures to remove barriers to growth which contribute to the ongoing employment law review. The Government will also continue working to ensure that EU measures do not stifle UK labour market flexibility.

English Language: Greater London

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what funding his Department provided for English for Speakers of Other Languages courses in  (a) Bethnal Green and Bow constituency,  (b) the London borough of Tower Hamlets and  (c) London in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many students were enrolled in English for Speakers of Other Languages courses in  (a) Bethnal Green and Bow constituency and  (b) the London borough of Tower Hamlets in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many students there are enrolled in English for Speakers of Other Languages courses in  (a) Bethnal Green and Bow constituency,  (b) the London borough of Tower Hamlets and  (c) London;
	(4)  what plans he has for future funding of English for Speakers of Other Languages courses in  (a) Bethnal Green and Bow constituency,  (b) the London borough of Tower Hamlets and  (c) London.

John Hayes: Table 1 shows participation on English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses in London, Tower Hamlets local education authority and Bethnal Green and Bow parliamentary constituency for 2005/06 to 2009/10.
	
		
			  Table 1: ESOL participation by geography, 2005/06 to 2009/10 
			   2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09( 1)  2009/10( 1)  (near-final) 
			 London 82,870 76,930 83,700 79,140 76,060 
			 Tower Hamlets local education authority 3,840 3,540 4,160 4,040 3,640 
			 Bethnal Green and Bow constituency 1,940 1,980 2,400 2,310 1,990 
			 (1) Figures for 2008/09 onwards are not directly comparable to earlier years as the introduction of demand led funding has changed how data is collected and how funded learners are defined. More information on demand led funding is available at: http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/businessdefinitions/Demand+Led+Funding.htm  Notes: 1. This data covers participation In Learner Responsive, Apprenticeships, Train to Gain, Adult Safeguarded Learning and University for Industry provision. Further Education/Learner Responsive provision includes General Further Education Colleges including Tertiary, Sixth Form Colleges-Agricultural and Horticultural Colleges and Art and Design Colleges, Specialist Colleges and External Institutions. 2. Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Geographic information is based upon the home postcode of the learner.  Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Information on participation on ESOL courses is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 January 2010:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current
	Information on historical ESOL funding at the local geography level is not available. However, the Skills Funding Agency publish information on adult (19 years +) allocations made to individual colleges, providers and employers for each academic year available at the following link:
	http://skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk/providers/programmes/
	From August 2011, full Government funding will be provided for unemployed people in receipt of jobseeker's allowance or in the employment and support allowance (work-related activity) group, and this will include ESOL courses where English language skills have been identified as a barrier to entering employment. We will continue to pay 50% of ESOL course fees for people who are settled here. We will no longer fund ESOL courses delivered in the workplace.
	Eligibility for full or part public funded ESOL provision is set out in the Skills Funding Agency's (SFA) learner eligibility criteria, which is based on a person's ordinary residence. For funding purposes, the SFA regards as ordinarily resident any person who habitually, normally and lawfully resides from choice and for a settled purpose in England. Full learner eligibility guidance can be found on the Skills Funding Agency and YPLA website:
	http://readingroom.ypla.gov.uk/ypla/agency-leg2010-11-version1aon12-04-2010.pdf
	As autonomous bodies, further education (FE) colleges and training providers are responsible for their own fees policies. We have introduced increased freedoms and flexibilities for FE colleges and providers providing them with increased flexibility to respond to the needs of their communities.

English Language: Greater Manchester

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what plans he has for future funding of English for Speakers of Other Languages courses in  (a) Bolton South East constituency,  (b) Bolton and  (c) Greater Manchester;
	(2)  how much funding his Department has provided for English for Speakers of Other Languages courses in  (a) Bolton South East constituency,  (b) Bolton borough and  (c) Greater Manchester in each of the last five years.

John Hayes: Information on historical ESOL broken down by geography is not available. However, the Skills Funding Agency publish information on adult (19 years +) allocations made to individual colleges, providers and employers for each academic year available at the following link:
	http://skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk/providers/programmes/
	From August 2011, full Government funding will be provided for unemployed people in receipt of jobseekers allowance of in the employment and support allowance (Work-Related Activity) Group, and this will include ESOL courses where English language skills have been identified as a barrier to entering employment. We will continue to pay 50% of ESOL course fees for people who are settled here. We will no longer fund ESOL courses delivered in the workplace.
	Eligibility for full or part public funded ESOL provision is set out in the Skills Funding Agency's learner eligibility criteria, which is based on a person's ordinary residence. For funding purposes, the Agency regards as ordinarily resident any person who habitually, normally and lawfully resides from choice and for a settled purpose in England. Full learner eligibility guidance can be found on the Skills Funding Agency and YPLA website:
	http://readingroom.ypla.gov.uk/ypla/agency-leg2010-11-version1aon12-04-2010.pdf
	As autonomous bodies, FE colleges and training providers are responsible for their own fees policies. We have introduced increased freedoms and flexibilities for FE colleges and providers providing them with increased flexibility to respond to the needs of their communities.
	Table 1 as follows shows participation on English for speakers of other languages courses in Bolton south east parliamentary constituency, Bolton local education authority and Manchester local education authority for 2005/06 to 2009/10. We only hold information at region, local education authority and parliamentary constituency levels of geography, therefore data for Greater Manchester is not presented.
	
		
			  Table 1: ESOL participation by geography, 2005/06 to 2009/10 
			   2005/06  2006/07  2007/08  2008/09( 1)  2009/10( 1) (near-final) 
			 Bolton south east constituency 1,090 670 770 750 590 
			 Bolton local education authority 1,910 1,170 1,270 1,250 1,060 
			 Manchester local education authority 6,610 4,640 3,430 3,400 2,590 
			 (1) Figures for 2008/09 onwards are not directly comparable to earlier years as the introduction of demand led funding has changed how data is collected and how funded learners are defined. More information on demand led funding is available at:  Notes: 1. This data covers participation In Learner Responsive, Apprenticeships, Train to Gain, Adult Safeguarded Learning and University for Industry provision. Further Education/Learner Responsive provision Includes General Further Education Colleges including Tertiary, Sixth Form Colleges-Agricultural and Horticultural Colleges and Art and Design Colleges, Specialist Colleges and External Institutions. 2. Volumes are rounded to the nearest ten. http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/businessdefinitions/Demand+Led+Funding.htm 3. Geographic information is based upon the home postcode of the learner.  Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Information on participation on ESOL courses is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 January 2010:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current

Enterprise Zones

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what arrangements he has put in place for areas to apply for enterprise zone status; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 28 March 2011
	Budget 2011 announced that Government would establish 21 new Enterprise Zones in Local Enterprise Partnership areas in England. Budget named the first 11 Local Enterprise Partnerships that would benefit from Enterprise Zones. A competition for a further 10 Enterprise Zones in the remaining partnership areas was also announced.
	The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and I will write shortly to Local Enterprise Partnerships with a prospectus for Enterprise Zones which sets out the appropriate application process.

Families

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what policy measures he has introduced since his appointment which reduce the incidence of family breakdown; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him on 21 March 2011,  Official Report, column 864W, by the Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller).

Further Education: Fees and Charges

Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to offer student loans to cover the cost of fees charged by further education institutions.

John Hayes: Government backed fee loans will be introduced from 2013/14 for those aged 24 and over to undertake qualifications at Level 3 and above.
	The loans will not be mean-tested and will be paid directly to the further education institution to meet up-front fee costs in the same way as higher education fee loans.
	We are considering how loans will be implemented, consulting with a stakeholder reference group.

Green Investment Bank

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what level of capitalisation he expects the Green Investment Bank to receive from the  (a) public and  (b) private sector in the first four years of its existence.

Mark Prisk: The initial capitalisation of the Green Investment Bank (GIB) will be £3 billion. This is £2 billion funding on top of £1 billion of departmental funding already announced. There are no current plans to attract private sector capital for the GIB. We expect the public sector capital to leverage an additional £15 billion of investments in green infrastructure by 2014-15.

Green Investment Bank

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the Green Investment Bank issuing bonds within the next five financial years.

Mark Prisk: Ministers will capitalise the Green Investment Bank (GIB) with £3 billion.
	With these resources, the GIB will not need to borrow in this spending review (SR) period. GIB borrowing in this SR would have added to net public sector debt and would not be consistent with the Government's fiscal consolidation plans.
	However, the ambition is to grow the GIB over time. Government will therefore enable the GIB to have borrowing powers from 2015-16 and once the target for debt to be falling as percentage of GDP has been met. The precise borrowing mechanism is still being worked out and we intend to say more May.

Green Investment Bank

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the Green Investment Bank sourcing capital from small investors through dedicated individual savings accounts in the next five financial years.

Mark Prisk: Retail deposits will not be an initial source of funding for the Green Investment Bank. Government are separately considering the case for taking further action to promote green individual saving accounts (ISAs.)

Higher Education: Finance

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with  (a) the Open University and  (b) other providers of part-time higher education on future funding for part-time higher education students in England; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: I have had a number of discussions with the Open University and other institutions about our package of reforms and its impact on part time students. From 2012/13 we propose that part-time students will be able to have access to loans to pay their tuition costs provided they are studying at publicly-funded institutions and at an intensity rate of at least 25%. We also propose that tuition costs for part-time students will be capped at a level which will be set pro-rata to the maximum amount chargeable to full-time students. These measures will help deliver the Government's intention that part-time students are treated similarly to full-time students for tuition.

ICT: Training

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to improve skills in IT across the workforce.

John Hayes: e-skills UK is the Sector Skills Council for Business and Information Technology, working with employers, to produce the supply of technology skills the UK needs to succeed. They have developed a range of help for businesses and learners including IT professional apprenticeships which are meeting current and future skill needs and have been increasing their participation rates. A qualifications framework has been created to assess and develop skills in IT and enable learners to progress. A partnership of e-skills UK, employers and higher education has developed the Information Technology Management for Business Degree supported by major employers who offer placements and coaching, e-skills UK also supports small businesses to improve their IT skills through the Business IT Guide.
	In response to the IT skills needs of the most disadvantaged people, the Department is providing a further £13 million in 2011-12 to UK online centres to provide support through internet access and IT skills training. UK online centres have provided support for 380,000 people in England since April 2010 to get online for the first time. The Online Basics qualification is now listed on the Qualifications and Credit Framework and fee remission will be available for those learners on work-ready benefits who require digital life skills.

Industry Training Levies

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on industry training levies.

John Hayes: The Skills Strategy, "Skills for Sustainable Growth", published in November 2010, set out our aim of raising employer ambition on skills by encouraging employers to develop collective approaches to improving skills in their sector, including professional standards, occupational licensing and training levies. We want industries and sectors to explore if training levies-on a statutory or a voluntary basis-can help businesses pool their resources and achieve greater impact from their investment.
	On Monday 7 March, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills launched a new £50 million Growth and Innovation Fund which will support the development of industry-led proposals around training levies, and other collective employer action aimed at overcoming the barriers to improving skills and driving growth.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the involvement of local enterprise partnerships in skills and training.

John Hayes: Local enterprise partnerships, colleges, universities and other training organisations are encouraged to work together to establish how they can best support the partnerships' ambitions. A skilled, educated work force is vital to drive growth both locally and nationally. That is why we are investing in education, skills and knowledge and are radically reforming the further education and skills system to deliver skills for sustainable growth.

Manufacturing Industries

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to increase levels of employment in the process and manufacturing sector.

Mark Prisk: The Government are supporting employment in the process and manufacturing industry by introducing more predictable and lower corporate taxes; cutting through the unnecessary red tape and regulation; increasing access to finance; and focusing on training and apprenticeships to ensure specialist skills are in good supply.
	To support further growth in manufacturing, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on 23 March 2011, Official Report, columns 951-966, a package of measures as part of the Growth Review. These will benefit UK manufacturing through helping improve firms commercialise technology, boosting access to a skilled work force, and improving the image of the sector.

Manufacturing Industries

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he had had with  (a) industry boards,  (b) employers and  (c) trade unions in the process and manufacturing sector.

Mark Prisk: We have held a number of meetings with companies, industry representatives, trade unions and other stakeholders to discuss a range of issues of importance to the process and manufacturing sector. As well as separate meetings, on 25 January 2011, I chaired an Advanced Manufacturing Summit, which brought together all the key players in industry, Government and academia to discuss the challenges and barriers to manufacturing growth. In addition, the Secretary of State met with representatives of the TUC and other trade unions in the manufacturing sector in February.

Manufacturing Industries

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to help raise the profile of careers in the process and manufacturing sector.

Mark Prisk: We believe that there is an important role for the Government in ensuring that there are strong, consistent messages about the vital role of manufacturing in the UK economy, and in highlighting UK manufacturing excellence. The Government's task is to spread the word about modern UK manufacturing, to draw attention to its breadth, diversity and dynamism, and to let people know about the opportunities it offers in terms of exciting, well-paid jobs and careers.
	As part of Budget 2011 my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer published the Government's Plan for Growth, which sets out how we aim to meet these ambitions. Key initiatives that were announced include;
	(1) Strengthening the Government's strategy for promoting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills; we aim to increase the STEM skills of young people in the UK and improve student awareness of STEM careers;
	(2) To promote the UK manufacturing sector, the Government will launch a high profile industry showcase alongside the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games and roll out a programme of 'Made in Britain' exhibitions;
	(3) The Government are seeking to promote a new international prize in engineering, and is working with private sector partners to create an endowment to support such a prize.
	In addition, through the "See Inside Manufacturing" initiative, companies will open their doors so that school children and students can get a look behind the scenes at what a career in manufacturing or engineering can offer. Excellence in British design, engineering and manufacturing is also being showcased through a rolling programme of themed displays at this Department's headquarters.

Manufacturing Industries

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to encourage growth in the process and manufacturing sector.

Mark Prisk: As part of Budget 2011 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the Government's plan for growth. This contains four overarching ambitions that will ensure the progress is made towards to achieving strong, sustainable and balanced growth that is more evenly shared across the country and between industries. These ambitions are:
	1. to create the most competitive tax system in the G20;
	2. to make the UK one of the best places in Europe to start, finance and grow a business;
	3. to encourage investment and exports as a route to a more balanced economy; and
	4. to create a more educated work force that is the most flexible in Europe.
	The plan for growth also sets out major initiatives in relation to sectors covered by the growth review. The advanced manufacturing sector will particularly benefit from: changes to capital allowances; the establishment of a High Value Manufacturing Technology and Innovation Centre; the development of a new degree-equivalent higher level apprenticeship; and nine new university-based centres for innovative manufacturing.

Manufacturing Industries: Apprentices

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to encourage employers in the process and manufacturing sector to employ apprentices.

Mark Prisk: Apprenticeships are good for businesses, good for growth and good for young people who want to get on. This Government want to support more apprenticeships than any previous Administration. We know that apprenticeships are valued by employers and individuals, providing real productivity benefits.
	As part of Budget 2011, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £180 million package for 50,000 extra apprenticeship places, including 10,000 advanced level and higher apprenticeships targeted at smaller employers. This means that this Government will deliver at least 250,000 more apprenticeships over the next four years, compared to the previous Government's plans.
	This package was developed as an outcome of the Growth Review and although it is aimed at all business sectors, it is expected to particularly benefit the advanced manufacturing industry and its supply chain.

Micro-business Regulation

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will estimate the number of  (a) micro-businesses and  (b) employees of micro-businesses in each (i) region, (ii) local authority area and (iii) Parliamentary constituency.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 23 March 2011
	Estimates of the number of micro-businesses are published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills at Government office regional (GOR) and country level and shown in the following table. Local authority area and parliamentary constituency estimates on the same methodology are not available.
	
		
			  Number of micro-businesses in 2009( 1) 
			  Government office region and country  Number of micro-businesses( 2) 
			 North East 133,365 
			 North West 460,845 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 329,325 
			 East Midlands 292,800 
			 West Midlands 346,200 
			 East of England 482,665 
			 London 809,460 
			 South East 714,380 
			 South West 446,895 
			 Wales 191,905 
			 Scotland 308,815 
			 Northern Ireland 116,930 
			 Total 4,633,580 
			 (1) In the UK, an estimated 3,764,000 employees work in micro-businesses. No estimates of the number of employees working for micro-businesses are available at regional, local authority or parliamentary constituency levels. (2) A micro-business is defined here as a private sector business with fewer than 10 employees.

Midwifery: Training

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many enrolments there were in midwifery courses at Northumbria university in each academic year between 2005-06 and 2010-11.

David Willetts: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects information on students in UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The most recent data available relates to the 2009/10 academic year. Figures for 2010/11 will be available in January 2012.
	HESA use the Joint Academic Coding System (JACS) to code a student's subject of study, and Midwifery falls within the most detailed level of this coding system. However, it was only in 2009/10 that HEIs were required to record at this detailed level of coding. Therefore figures for years prior to 2009/10 will not accurately record the number of Midwifery students, as some HEIs may have coded these students as Nursing, rather than choosing the code at the more detailed level of Midwifery.
	The figures in the following table show the number of enrolments on Nursing courses at Northumbria university between 2005/06 and 2009/10, and for 2009/10 only, the number of Midwifery enrolments.
	
		
			  Nursing and midwifery enrolments( 1)  at Northumbria university academic years 2005/06 to 2009/10 
			  Academic year  Nursing  Midwifery 
			 2005/06 5,740 n/a 
			 2006/07 5,720 n/a 
			 2007/08 3,855 n/a 
			 2008/09 3,795 n/a 
			 2009/10 3,785 145 
			 (1) Covers postgraduate and undergraduate students of all domiciles enrolled on full-time and part-time courses, and students in all years of study.  Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

NHS: Unfair Practices

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many investigations the Office of Fair Trading has conducted in relation to NHS-funded health care provision under its powers under the Competition Act 1998; and what remedies were imposed where such investigations identified breaches of prohibitions under that Act.

Edward Davey: holding answer 28 March 2011
	The Office of Fair Trading has conducted no investigations into NHS-funded health care provision in England, Wales or Scotland using its powers under the Competition Act 1998 (the Act).
	The Office of Fair Trading has conducted an investigation into the purchasing arrangements of a Health and Social Services (HSS) Trust in Northern Ireland using its powers under the Act. This 2003 investigation followed a ruling by the Competition Appeal Tribunal which held that the HSS Trust in question was acting as an 'undertaking' for the purposes of the Act. In its final decision (Decision of the Office of Fair Trading No CA98/09/2003), the OFT found no breaches of the Act, and closed the case without imposing any remedy.

NHS: Unfair Practices

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many market references to the Competition Commission the Office of Fair Trading has made in relation to NHS-funded health care provision under its powers under the Enterprise Act 2002; and what remedies were recommended by the Competition Commission following each such reference.

Edward Davey: holding answer 28 March 2011
	The Office of Fair Trading has made no market references to the Competition Commission in relation to NHS funded health care provision under its Enterprise Act 2002 powers.

Overseas Students: Loans

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the costs incurred by the Student Loans Company on prosecuting those from  (a) EEA and  (b) non-EEA states who did not repay a student loan (i) wholly and (ii) partially in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Willetts: Student loans in England are only available to those who meet the relevant residence requirements. The Student Loans Company (SLC) applies the same mechanisms to all borrowers who move overseas after leaving their course.
	The Student Loans Company (SLC) piloted arrangements in 2009 for collecting repayments from overseas borrowers, including options for legal action with the first group of EU borrowers who left their courses earlier than expected.
	The SLC successfully raised nine judgments against EU borrowers with tuition fee loans. The SLC enforced some in Scottish courts and some in other EU countries. To date no action has been taken against other groups of students.
	The costs incurred by the SLC on prosecuting those included within the pilot, who did not repay a student loan was £17,495.

Parental Leave

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the position of the UK in international comparator tables for the length of paid  (a) maternity and  (b) paternity leave;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the relative position of the UK in international comparator tables measuring parental leave; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: The UK provides 52 weeks maternity leave to all employed women, 39 weeks may be paid. The first six weeks are paid at 90% of average earnings; the remaining weeks are paid at 90% of average earnings, capped at £124.88 per week. Employed fathers who meet the qualifying criteria, are entitled to two weeks paternity leave, paid at £124.88 per week. Employed parents with one year's service of employment are entitled to 13 weeks unpaid parental leave, per parent per child, to be taken before their child's 5th birthday.
	Due to the different schemes in place across the world; with different mixes of maternity, paternity and parental leave available to parents; it is difficult to make a sensible assessment of the UK's position in international comparator tables.

Post Offices

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had with Post Office Ltd on the future of sales of  (a) insurance,  (b) foreign currency and  (c) vehicle excise duty through the Post Office network; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: Government have been clear that they support the Post Office's ambition to become a 'front office for government' and the important role the Post Office intends to play in the provision of financial services. However, decisions on individual products are a commercial matter for Post Office Ltd and its partners.

Regional Growth Fund: Yorkshire and the Humber

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many organisations in Yorkshire have  (a) applied for and  (b) been awarded funding from the Regional Growth Fund since its inception.

Mark Prisk: 464 bids have been received in Round 1 of Regional Growth Fund (RGF). Of these, 56.5 (.5 comes from a project that overlaps with another region) bids have been received from Yorkshire and the Humber region.
	Final decisions on how to allocate funds available in Round 1 of the Regional Growth Fund have not yet been made. My noble Friend Lord Heseltine's Independent Advisory Panel has made recommendations to Ministers, who are considering the bids submitted in Round 1. Announcement on successful bids from Round 1 will be made soon.

Regional Growth Fund: Yorkshire and the Humber

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which York-based organisations have applied for funding from the Regional Growth Fund since its inception; how much was sought in each case; whether the applications (i) were successful, (ii) were unsuccessful and (iii) are under consideration; and how much was awarded in respect of each successful application.

Mark Prisk: 464 bids were received in round 1 to the Regional Growth Fund (RGF). Of these, three bids were based in York. The Department is unable to provide the amount requested in each of these cases as to do so would risk disclosure of the bids which were received in confidence and could adversely effect the commercial position of the applicants.
	Final decisions on how to allocate funds available in round 1 of the Regional Growth Fund have not yet been made. My noble Friend Lord Heseltine's Independent Advisory Panel has made recommendations to Ministers, who are considering the bids submitted. I do, however, expect that announcements will be made soon.

Students: Loans

Esther McVey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 718-19W, on students: loans, how much was owed by those people prosecuted for non-repayment of their student loan; and what the cost to his Department was of raising such judgments.

David Willetts: The total amount owed by those prosecuted for non-repayment of their student loan was £28,573.52.
	The costs incurred by the Student Loans Company (SLC) on prosecuting those who did not repay a student loan was £17,495.

Students: Reading Berkshire

Alok Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many students aged between 16 and 19 years normally resident in the Reading West constituency were in further and higher education in each of the last 10 years.

John Hayes: Table 1 shows the number of 16 to 18-year-old learners participating in government-funded further education in Reading West parliamentary constituency from 2002/03 to 2009/10 (near-final).
	This includes participation across all further education learning routes, including further education, apprenticeships, Train to Gain, Adult Safeguarded Learning and University for Industry funding streams.
	The latest figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) are shown in table 2. Figures for the 2010/11 academic year will be available in January 2012.
	
		
			  Table 1: Further education participation by learners aged 16 to 18 in Reading West constituency, 2002/03 to 2009/10 (near-final) 
			   Total 
			 2002/03 1,340 
			 2003/04 1,320 
			 2004/05 1,320 
			 2005/06 1,400 
			 2006/07 1,400 
			 2007/08 1,620 
			 2008/09(1) 1,570 
			 2009/10 (near-final)(1) 1,630 
			 (1 )Figures for 2008/09 onwards are not directly comparable to earlier years as the introduction of demand led funding has changed how data are collected and how funded learners are defined from 2008/09 onwards. More information on demand led funding is available at http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/businessdefinitions/Demand+Led+Funding.htm  Notes: 1 Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Geography information is based upon the home postcode of the learner. 3. Information in this table is based on all government funded learners. 4. These data include FE, apprenticeships/Work Based Learning, Train to Gain, Adult Safeguarded Learning and University for Industry funding streams. 5. Age is based on age at the start of the academic year. Figures include a small number of learners aged under 16-year-olds. 6. Figures for 2005/06 onwards are based on geographic boundaries of parliamentary constituencies as of May 2010, figures for 2002/03 to 2004/05 are based on earlier geographic boundaries. Figures for 2005/06 onwards cannot be directly compared with figures for earlier years, due to boundary changes within parliamentary constituencies-even for constituencies with similar names.  Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Information on further education and skills participation and achievement is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 27 January:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current
	Final further education and skills participation data by geography for 2009/10 is due to be published in a supplementary table on the 31 March, available from the SFR at the above link.
	
		
			  Table 2: Higher education enrolments( 1) . Aged 16 to 19 from Reading West parliamentary constituency( 2) . English . Academic years 2000/01 to 2009/10 
			  Academic year  Enrolments 
			 2000/01 445 
			 2001/02 450 
			 2002/03 445 
			 2003/04 470 
			 2004/05 480 
			 2005/06 515 
			 2006/07 555 
			 2007/08 530 
			 2008/09 545 
			 2009/10 615 
			 (1) Covers enrolments to full-time and part-time courses at postgraduate and undergraduate level. (2) Excludes students whose parliamentary constituency could not be established due to missing or invalid postcode information.  Note: Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest five.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

Timesharing

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received on long-term and in-perpetuity management fee obligations on timeshare properties where the owner is  (a) alive and  (b) deceased.

Edward Davey: Since the general election I have received eight items of correspondence on the matter of long-term contractual obligations to pay for the management of timeshare property. This includes one response to this Department's consultation on draft regulations which came into effect on 23 February 2011 (SI 2010/2960) to implement the directive on timeshare, long-term holiday product, resale and exchange contracts (2008/122/EC). Of these, three contained concerns that the correspondents believed or were led to believe that their descendants would be bound by their contract.
	The Department passes these concerns to the Office of Fair Trading for any action it may deem appropriate under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999.

Tobacco

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills if he will assess the effects on small businesses of the European Commission's re-appraisal of the tobacco control directive; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the effects of the reappraisal on the implementation of the Government's proposed tobacco display ban.

Mark Prisk: I am fully aware of the European Commission's reappraisal of the tobacco control directive and the outline proposals for this on which the Commission recently publicly consulted. BIS officials will work with Department of Health colleagues to ensure that the potential effects on small businesses are fully understood and that these are avoided or mitigated as much as possible while still delivering any agreed public health policy objectives. Domestically the Secretary of State has had several discussions with my the Secretary of State for Health and other Ministers in respect of implementing the Government's tobacco display ban; the Secretary of State for Health made a statement to Parliament setting out our agreed position on 9 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 66-69WS.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Eelectoral Law: Convictions

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people were  (a) charged with and  (b) convicted for offences under electoral law in England and Wales in each year since 1997.

Mark Harper: The Government does not keep statistics on charges and convictions for breaches of offences under electoral law in England and Wales. The figures cited as follows are extracted from reports prepared by the Electoral Commission rather than from central Government records. Accordingly, those reports do not necessarily constitute a complete record of the number of charges and convictions during the period referred to.
	Information is not available for the period 1997 to 1999.
	The Electoral Commission's report "Further analysis of CPS files on allegations of electoral malpractice in England and Wales 2000-2006" gives details of prosecutions for electoral malpractice under the Representation of the People Act 1983 during that period. The report noted that convictions do not necessarily occur in the same year that proceedings are initiated and found that the number of convictions in each year from 2000 to 2006 was as follows:
	
		
			   Number of cases with guilty verdict 
			 2000 5 
			 2001 11 
			 2002 1 
			 2003 4 
			 2004 0 
			 2005 1 
			 2006 1 
		
	
	Though statistics are not recorded on charges and convictions brought under common law fraud offences in England and Wales, I am aware that subsequently five people were convicted under the common law offence of conspiracy to defraud at the 2005 general election in the Bradford West constituency and all received a custodial sentence.
	With regard to the Welsh Assembly election of 2007, and local government elections in England in 2007, the Electoral Commission's report "Electoral malpractice in England and Wales-2007" trends found that at the 2007 elections 129 allegations of electoral malpractice were recorded in England and Wales. Subsequently six people were convicted of committing a number of electoral offences at the May 2007 local government elections in Slough and all received a custodial sentence. Charges that were brought against some of these six individuals also included the common law offence of conspiracy to defraud.
	At elections in 2008, 2009 and 2010 there was systematic monitoring by the Electoral Commission and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) of allegations of electoral malpractice reported to the police during the election period.
	With regard to local government elections in England and Wales in 2008, the Electoral Commission and ACPO report "Allegations of electoral malpractice at the May 2008 elections in England and Wales" found that one case led to prosecution, which resulted in the conviction of one person on a charge of making a false application to vote by proxy and a fine of £1,015.
	With regard to the European elections of 2009 and local government elections in England in 2009, the Electoral Commission and ACPO report "Analysis of allegations of electoral malpractice at the June 2009 elections" found that two people pleaded guilty to three charges of false registration and other non-electoral fraud charges in Bournemouth, and each received a sentence of one month's imprisonment for the registration offences. The report identifies that, in mid-December 2009, one person pleaded guilty to two charges of personation at the European parliamentary and local government elections in Cannock, and was sentenced to four months in prison. The Commission's report also provided updated information about the outcome of allegations of fraud at the May 2008 elections. The report found that a further two cases relating to the May 2008 elections had led to charges or prosecutions. The first additional case resulted in two people pleading guilty to personation at a polling station, and were both given the maximum community service order penalty of 300 hours. In the second additional case, charges were brought against one person for two false applications to vote by proxy in Calderdale. This person was subsequently found guilty and in August 2010 was given a suspended sentence of 12 months: six months for each offence of falsely applying to vote by proxy, with the suspension to last for 12 months.
	With regard to the UK general election and local government elections in England in 2010, the Electoral Commission and ACPO report "Analysis of cases of alleged electoral malpractice in 2010" found that one case of alleged electoral malpractice in Manchester relating to the distribution of leaflets without an imprint and making false statements about a candidate resulted in a prosecution and conviction, leading to a fine of £200. Court proceedings had been initiated in one other case. The Commission's report also provided updated information about the outcome of allegations of electoral fraud at previous elections. The report found that at the 2008 elections, additionally, two people were charged with falsely applying to vote by proxy in Walsall. The first was acquitted following trial at the magistrates court. The second pleaded guilty to two charges of falsely registering for a proxy and was given a custodial sentence of six weeks on each charge to run consecutively.

Elections: Council of Europe

Priti Patel: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the UK was consulted in advance of the adoption by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe of its Code of good practice in electoral matters in July 2002; whether the Code has an effect on UK domestic law; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: I have been asked to reply.
	The Venice Commission is an advisory body in the Council of Europe (COE) with no executive powers. The Venice Commission's code of good practice in electoral matters was approved in 2003 by two other advisory and consultative bodies of the COE: the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. The executive and principal decision taking body of the COE, the Committee of Ministers, adopted a declaration in 2004 calling on COE member states' governments to take account of the code when drafting electoral legislation. The UK is represented on all these bodies. The code is not legally binding.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Redundancy

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many civil servants in his Department have been offered voluntary redundancy since April 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Alan Duncan: 31 civil servants within the Department for International Development (DFID) have accepted offers of voluntary redundancy since April 2010. These early exits were in line with the terms of the Civil Service Compensation scheme
	applicable at the time of offer.

Developing Countries: Leprosy

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will allocate funding to reduce leprosy in the developing world.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) is providing £12.5 million to the World Health Organisation's core budget in the 2010-11 financial year, which includes an element for leprosy control. We also provide £14 million over the period 2008-13 to the WHO special programme on Tropical Disease Research (TDR).
	DFID also supports the strengthening of health services in several countries, including India, so as to provide services for all major causes of ill health, including leprosy.

Developing Countries: Water

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department provided to UNICEF's sanitation and water relief for all campaign in the latest period for which figures are available.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) has provided £250,000 in 2010-11 to support the work of the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) secretariat to ensure SWA contributes to tangible progress in water and sanitation in the most off-track countries over the next year. This support contributed to six developing countries committing to increasing their domestic spending on the water and sanitation sector; Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mauritania and Senegal.

Developing Countries: Water

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has with his international counterparts to encourage donor countries to support UNICEF's sanitation and water relief for all campaign.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) has taken a leadership role in encouraging other donors to participate in the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) initiative. This resulted in 13 donors attending the first high level meeting (HLM) in March last year. Austria, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland and the African Development Bank have now become official partners in the initiative alongside the UK. DFID now holds the position of vice-chair.
	The Secretary of State personally attended the water and sanitation event, organised by SWA, at the United Nations summit on the millennium development goals. At that event he confirmed DFID's support for the initiative and emphasised how DFID would work with other donors to use the initiative to improve the impact, sustainability and value-for-money of aid spending in water and sanitation.

Export Credit Guarantees

Eilidh Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 1254-5W, on Export Credits Guarantee Department, for which Export Credits Guarantee Department transactions his Department has provided case-by-case assessment in each of the last five years;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 1254-5W, on the Export Credits Guarantee Department, what definition of poorest countries his Department uses to determine when to provide a case-by-case assessment of an Export Credits Guarantee Department transaction.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) assesses projects where the recipient country is able to borrow from the World Bank only on highly concessional terms because of their very low incomes or lack of creditworthiness, or where it is able to borrow from the International Monetary Fund on concessional terms. Further details of this commitment are available on the OECD website:
	http://www.oecd.org/department/0,3355,en_2649_34179_1_1_1_1_1,00.html
	Since the summer of 2006, 15 projects have been submitted to DFID for assessment by the Export Credit Guarantees Department (ECGD), including one project currently under review. These projects are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  ECGD Projects Assessed by DFID 
			  Date a ssessed  Importing country  Project description  Sector 
			 March 2011 (under review) Sri Lanka The project is to design, supply, and install 196 bridges in rural locations in Sri Lanka Public 
			 March 2011 Kenya The Supply of 700 Land Rover Discovery Vehicles for police use Public 
			 December 2010 Nigeria Supply of a Compressed Natural Gas Delivery System to Green Fuels Ltd, Nigeria Private 
			 July 2009 Nigeria Design and supply of water treatment and distribution systems for Cross RiverState Water Board, Nigeria Public 
			 December 2009 Nigeria Sale of equipment to "Crushing Dragon" (Nigeria) to expand production from a granite quarry. Private 
			 September 2008 Nigeria Delivery of three Airbus A340-500 aircraft to Arik Air Limited, to support fleet development by the airline and purchase of two Rolls Royce engines. Private 
			 July 2008 Nigeria The supply of aluminium can manufacturing equipment by Carnaud Metalbox Engineering plc to GZ Industries Ltd, Nigeria. Private 
			 June 2008 Nigeria Sale of a second-hand business jet from the UK to a Nigerian private sector operator, Easy Jet Nigeria. The aircraft will be used for charter flights between the UK and Nigeria. Private 
			 October 2007 Sri Lanka A project for the survey, design, supply and implementation of 222 bridges, including emergency bridges and technical assistance Public 
			 August 2007 Nigeria 400 London Taxis to the Abuja Leasing Company Private 
			 August 2007 Sri Lanka Coastal Zone Mapping Public 
			 April 2007 Ghana Rehabilitation and development of Kotoka International Airport, Accra. Public 
			 November 2006 Ghana Groundnut processing plant in Northern Ghana Public 
			 October 2006 Vietnam Acquisition of ten Airbus A321 aircraft by Vietnam Airlines. Public 
			 June 2006 Kenya Supply of two Rolls Royce aero engines for a new Boeing 777 to be supplied to Kenya Airways Private

International Assistance

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is on the reform of the Millennium Development Goals in 2015.

Stephen O'Brien: The Secretary of State has made it clear that the Department for International Development's attention is focused on accelerating progress towards the current Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) over the four remaining years. It is important that thinking on what should come next does not distract international effort away from this.
	Formal processes to consider what happens after 2015, at the UN and in other forums, are yet to start. When they do, we will work to ensure that the best aspects of the current framework are carried forward, and that we adapt those aspects that have worked less well.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Water

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much  (a) multilateral and  (b) bilateral aid his Department plans to provide to increase access to running water and sanitation in sub-Saharan Africa in the next four financial years.

Stephen O'Brien: Providing clean water and sanitation was identified as a priority in the recent Bilateral Aid Review. The Department for International Development (DFID) has allocated an indicative budget of £396 million in bilateral aid to be spent through our country programmes over the next four financial years to increase access to water and sanitation in nine off track countries in sub-Saharan Africa. DFID will also fund multilateral organisations, such as the World Bank and the African Development Bank, that will also provide assistance to increase access to water and sanitation in sub-Saharan Africa. Figures for this multilateral expenditure are not currently available.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Water

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will assess the progress made in sub-Saharan Africa in achieving the millennium development goal on water provision and sanitation.

Stephen O'Brien: Sub-Saharan Africa is the only region that is off-track in meeting the Millennium Development Goal target for water. 330 million people, or 40% of the population, did not have safe drinking water in 2008. Only four sub-Saharan countries (South Africa, Rwanda, Angola and Botswana) are on track for meeting the sanitation target. The UK will support programmes in nine off-track countries of sub-Saharan Africa to provide people with access to clean water and improved sanitation, as well as support through multilateral organisations.

HEALTH

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many admissions to hospital with an alcohol-related diagnosis via accident and emergency departments there were in  (a) the East of England Strategic Health Authority area and  (b) the Suffolk Primary Care Trust area in each year since 2008-09.

Anne Milton: An estimate of the number of alcohol-related(1) emergency admissions to hospital via accident and emergency(2) that are (i) wholly attributable to alcohol or those that are (ii) wholly or partially attributable to alcohol for East of England strategic health authority (SHA) (residence)(3) and Suffolk primary care trust (PCT) (residence)(3) from 2008-09 to 2009-10 is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Activity in English national health service hospitals and English NHS-commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			   2009-10  2008-09 
			   Estimated admissions wholly attributable to alcohol  Estimated admissions partially or wholly attributable to alcohol  Estimated admissions wholly attributable to alcohol  Estimated admissions partially or wholly attributable to alcohol 
			 East of England SHA 14,116 165,191 12,433 147,679 
			 Suffolk PCT 1,535 16,668 1,222 13,894 
			 (1) Estimate of alcohol-related admissions : The number of alcohol-related admissions is based on the methodology developed by the North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO), which uses 48 indicators for alcohol-related illnesses, determining the proportion of a wide range of diseases and injuries that can be partly attributed to alcohol as well as those that are, by definition, wholly attributable to alcohol. Further information on these proportions can be found at: www.nwph.net/nwpho/publications/AlcoholAttributableFractions.pdf The application of the NWPHO methodology was updated in summer 2010 and is now available directly from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). Information about episodes estimated to be alcohol-related may be slightly different from previously published data. (2) Accident and emergency: Admission method codes 21 and 28 were used: 21: Emergency via Accident and Emergency (A&E), including the casualty department of the provider; 28: Emergency: Other means, including patients who arrive via the A&E department of another health care provider. (3) SHA/PCT of residence: The SHA or PCT containing the patient's normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another SHA/PCT for treatment.  Notes: 1.  Assessing growth through time: HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and so no longer include in admitted patient HES data. 2.  Data quality: HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and PCTs in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), the NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of deaths  (a) directly attributable to alcohol consumption,  (b) where alcohol consumption was an attributable factor and  (c) where alcohol consumption was named on the death certificate as a contributory cause in each of the last three years;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the proportion of deaths from  (a) oesophageal cancer,  (b) colorectal cancer,  (c) breast cancer,  (d) pancreatic cancer and  (e) liver cancer that were attributed to alcohol consumption in the last year for which figures are available;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) suicides and  (b) accidental deaths that were attributed to alcohol in the last year for which figures are available.

Nick Hurd: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2001:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent questions.
	Table 1 provides the number of deaths where an alcohol-related cause was (i) the underlying cause of death, or (ii) mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause or as a contributory factor, in England and Wales, for 2007 to 2009 (the latest year available). The National Statistics definition of alcohol-related deaths only includes those causes regarded as being most directly due to alcohol consumption, as shown in Box 1.
	It is not possible to provide figures for the number or proportion of deaths from (a) oesophageal cancer, (b) colorectal cancer, (c) breast cancer, (d) pancreatic cancer or (e) liver cancer which were caused by alcohol, from the information collected at death registration.
	Internationally accepted guidance from the World Health Organisation requires only those conditions that contributed directly to the death to be recorded on the death certificate. Medical practitioners and coroners are not supposed to record all of the diseases or conditions present at or before death, and whether a condition contributed is a matter for their clinical judgment. Lifestyle and behavioural factors, such as the deceased's alcohol consumption, are not recorded.
	Estimates of alcohol-attributable mortality for specific causes of death in England have been published in a collaborative report by the Centre for Public Health at Liverpool John Moores University and the North West Public Health Observatory, The report, titled 'Alcohol-attributable fractions for England: Alcohol attributable mortality and hospital admissions', is available at the following link:
	http://www.nwph.net/nwpho/Publications/AlcoholAttributableFractions.pdf
	Table 2 provides the number of deaths where alcohol poisoning was the underlying cause of death, where the intent was (a) intentional (suicide), (b) accidental, or (c) undetermined, in England and Wales, for 2009 (the latest year available). The figures do not include deaths caused by suicide, accidents or other circumstances where the deceased had consumed alcohol before the event, as this information is not routinely recorded in coroner inquest reports or at death registration.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths where an alcohol-related cause was the underlying cause of death, or was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, England and Wales , 2007- 09( 1, 2, 3, 4) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			   Underlying cause  Mentioned 
			 2007 7,042 11,988 
			 2008 7,344 12,417 
			 2009 7,099 12,550 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). The specific conditions which are included in the National Statistics definition of alcohol-related deaths, and their corresponding ICD-10 codes, are shown in Box 1. (2) Deaths were included where an alcohol-related cause was the underlying cause of death, or was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause or as a contributory factor. (3) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (4) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Number of deaths where alcohol poisoning was the underlying cause of death, by intent, England and Wales, 2009( 1, 2, 3) 
			  Intent  Deaths (persons) 
			 Intentional 2 
			 Accidental 179 
			 Undetermined 8 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes X65 (intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol), X45 (accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol), and Y15 (poisoning by and exposure to alcohol, undetermined). (2) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year. 
		
	
	
		
			  Box 1: National Statistics definition of alcohol-related deaths 
			  International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes 
			   Definition 
			 F10 Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of alcohol 
			 G31.2 Degeneration of nervous system due to alcohol 
			 G62.1 Alcoholic polyneuropathy 
			 I42.6 Alcoholic cardiomyopathy 
			 K29.2 Alcoholic gastritis 
			 K70 Alcoholic liver disease 
			 K73 Chronic hepatitis, not elsewhere classified 
			 K74 Fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver 
			  (Excluding K74.3-K74.5-Biliary cirrhosis) 
			 K86.0 Alcohol induced chronic pancreatitis 
			 X45 Accidental poisoning by and exposure to alcohol 
			 X65 Intentional self-poisoning by and exposure to alcohol 
			 Y15 Poisoning by and exposure to alcohol, undetermined intent

Aniridia: Children

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children of ethnic minority background have been diagnosed with the eye condition aniridia.

Simon Burns: The Department does not collect data on all those diagnosed with aniridia.
	Information produced by the Information Centre for Health and Social Care shows that for 2009-10 there were 35 finished consultant episodes involving children aged 0-14 where 'absence of the iris' was the primary diagnosis. The data are not sufficiently detailed to show the ethnic background of those children.
	 Note
	A finished consultant episode is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. It should be noted that the figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.

Aniridia: Children

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department issues to ophthalmologists on the diagnosis of aniridia in children from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Simon Burns: No guidance has been issued by the Department on the diagnosis of aniridia.

Departmental Redundancy

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many civil servants in his Department have been offered voluntary redundancy since April 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: In preparation for the proposed changes in the Civil Service Compensation scheme, the Department did not launch or offer any open early exit schemes during 2010. There were 16 business as usual exits between April and October 2010, where clear evidence had been provided of limited postability or limited efficiency.
	Since the launch of the new compensation arrangements in December, the Department launched a voluntary exit scheme in January 2011. This is still partway through its administration, with exits taking place between 31 May 2011 and 31 March 2012. These standard tariff terms have been offered to 263 members of staff but final numbers may change as staff decide whether to accept or decline the terms on offer.

Departmental Redundancy

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of his Department's staff have taken early retirement in each of the last five years; and at what cost to his Department in each such year.

Simon Burns: The information presented in the following table provides the numbers and costs of those taking early retirement under the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme arrangements. The total costs include annual compensation payments paid to individuals until they reach normal retirement age.
	Information about 2010-11 reflects the position to 24 March 2011.
	
		
			   Number of staff  Total cost (£ million) 
			 2006-07 27 5 
			 2007-08 42 6.6 
			 2008-09 15 2.6 
			 2009-10 17 2.1 
			 2010-11 10 1.5

Drugs: Developing Countries

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to enable sealed and unused surplus medicines which are returned by patients to be provided for use in developing countries rather than being destroyed.

Simon Burns: The Government do not promote the reuse of returned medicines from patients in this country, as it is not possible to guarantee the quality of a returned medicine by physical inspection alone.
	This is in line with the World Health Organisation's Guidelines for Drug Donations, which recommends that no drugs should be donated that have been issued to patients and then returned to a pharmacy.

Food: Packaging

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the effects of toxins from food packaging on food.

Anne Milton: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has commissioned a wide range of research and surveillance into the possibility of chemicals, that might be toxic to human health; migrating from food packaging into food.
	The results of the research and surveillance are evaluated to determine whether there are potential food safety issues, the FSA has taken immediate action to protect the public where a potential food safety issue has been identified.
	Further information is available on the FSA website at:
	www.food.gov.uk

Fruit: Schools

Ben Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for future funding for the provision of free fruit in primary schools.

Anne Milton: The School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme will remain unchanged until 31 March 2012, when its position will be reviewed in light of new public health priorities and developing work on the ring-fenced budget for Public Health England, which will operate from 2012-13.

General Practitioners

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the British Medical Association on his Department's proposals for GP consortia.

Simon Burns: Since July 2010, the Secretary of State for Health has met with representatives of the British Medical Association on five occasions.

General Practitioners

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has considered the merits of amending the list of services to GP practices funded by the NHS to cover the provision of letters written to refer patients to private practices.

Simon Burns: Under the terms of their contract with the national health service, general practitioners (GPs) are required to refer patients for other services as appropriate. GPs are also prevented from charging their patients a fee for NHS or private treatment under the contract except in certain prescribed circumstances.
	However, GPs also provide a variety of other services which successive Governments have regarded as private matters between the patient and the doctor providing the service. The doctor is free to make a charge for these non-NHS services if he or she wishes.
	We feel that it is important that services provided by GPs, which are funded by the NHS, are delivered to, and for the benefit of, the majority of patients. Therefore there are no plans include the provision of letters for referral to private practices in the list of items which are provided free of charge.

General Practitioners

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has considered the merits of reviewing the professional fees charged by GP practices for letters written to refer patients to private practices.

Simon Burns: The provision of services by general practitioners (GPs) outside those contracted for under GP contractual arrangements is not a matter for the Department or for Government. As independent contractors this is something for the individual practice to determine. The Professional Fees Committee of the British Medical Association (BMA) suggests fees for such services to help doctors set their own professional fees. However, these fees are guidelines only, not recommendations, and a doctor is not obliged to charge the rates suggested. Where doctors intend to charge for services to patients, the BMA advises them to forewarn patients, at the earliest opportunity, of the likely level of fees.

Gynaecology: Medical Treatments

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment has been made of the  (a) economic effects and  (b) effects on patients of uterine fibroid embolisation as an alternative to hysterectomy;
	(2)  what plans he has to improve GP training on uterine fibroid embolisation to enable women with fibroids to choose such therapy as an alternative to hysterectomy;
	(3)  what information he plans to make available to patients with fibroids to enable them to make an informed decision about their treatment and care based on the different options available;
	(4)  whether he plans to encourage GPs to offer uterine fibroid embolisation to women with fibroids as an alternative to hysterectomy in line with the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence's clinical guideline 44 on heavy menstrual bleeding.

Anne Milton: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence published guidelines in November 2010. It is for the national health services to take account of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guideline on uterine fibroid embolisation. We have no plans for further action.
	The content of curriculum and quality and standard of training for medical professions is the responsibility of the appropriate professional regulatory body. The content and standard of medical training is the responsibility of the General Medical Council (GMC), which is the competent authority for medical training in the Unite Kingdom. GMC is an independent professional body.
	The NHS Choices website:
	www.nhs.uk
	includes detailed information for patients on fibroids, treatment options and where treatment is available. Information for patients with fibroids can be found at:
	www.nhs.uk/conditions/fibroids/Pages/Introduction.aspx
	However, while it is not practicable or desirable for the Government to prescribe the exact training that any individual doctor will receive we are, of course, aware of the need to ensure perceived areas of weakness in training curricula are addressed. For that reason, we are liaising with the Regulators and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges about how best to ensure curricula do meet requirements.

Hip Replacements: Waiting Lists

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for a hip replacement operation in  (a) Bolton,  (b) Greater Manchester and  (c) England in each of the last 10 years.

Simon Burns: The median time waited, in days, for hip replacement procedures, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Median time waited (in days) for hip replacement procedures in Bolton Primary Care Trust (PCT) of residence ,  Greater Manchester PCTs of residence( 1)  and England from 2000-01 to 2009-10( 2) 
			   2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			  Bolton PCT   
			 Median 254 348 341 262 218 168 159 72 63 64 
			
			  Greater Manchester   
			 Median 233 251 241 217 178 140 126 90 79 83 
			
			  England   
			 Median 212 220 229 217 182 158 148 107 75 77 
			 (1) The data include activity in the following PCTs: Salford PCT, Stockport PCT, Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT, Bolton PCT, Oldham PCT, Bury PCT, Tameside and Glossop PCT, Manchester PCT, Trafford PCT and Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT. (2) Data from 2006-07 onwards are not directly comparable with previous years due to changes in PCT boundaries.  Notes: 1. The data include activity in English NHS hospitals and English national health service commissioned activity in the independent sector. Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) provides counts and time waited for all patients between decisions to admit and admission to hospital within a given period. 2. Hip replacement is defined as a main procedure with OPCS4 code W37 to W39, W46 to W48 or W93 to W95.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

Hyperactivity: Drugs

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will amend the guidance on the use of methylphenidate for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in order to reduce levels of prescribing of methylphenidate.

Simon Burns: The Department has not issued any guidance to the national health service on the use of methylphenidate (Ritalin).
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published technology appraisal guidance in March 2006 which recommended methylphenidate within its licensed indication as an option for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). NICE also published a clinical guideline in September 2008 on the diagnosis and management of ADHD in children, young people and adults which also recommends methylphenidate as a treatment option subject to certain criteria.
	We understand that NICE plans to consider the need to review the clinical guideline in October 2011. Further information is available at:
	http://guidance.nice.org.uk/CG72

Local Government Finance

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each local authority received from each  (a) revenue and  (b) capital funding stream from his Department in (i) 2010-11 and (ii) 2011-12; how much funding his Department allocated from each such stream in each year; and what the change was in the level of funding in each such stream between those years in (A) cash and (B) real terms.

Paul Burstow: Revenue and capital grant allocations from the Department to local authorities for 2010-11 were contained within Local Authority Social Services Letter LASSL(DH)(2008)4. The Department also made a contribution to the Single Capital Pot for 2010-11, details of which are contained within Local Authority Social Services Letter LASSL(DH)(2008)3. A copy of each of these letters has been placed in the Library.
	At the time of the spending review, the Department announced that revenue grant funding had been maintained in real terms for 2011-12. We have also allocated an additional £1 billion by 2014-15, through local government, to support social care. In order to support local flexibility and to reduce administrative burdens, these funding streams will go to authorities through the general local government formula grant. It is therefore not possible to provide a local authority level breakdown.
	The value of the social care revenue grant funding which is rolling into formula grant is as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   2010-11  2011-12 
			 AIDS support 25.50 27.70 
			 Preserved rights 235.40 228.84 
			 Ongoing Personal Social Services(1) 752.34 767.02 
			 Recycled Personal Social Services(2) 303.00 318.15 
			 New Personal Social Services Funding (3)- 530.00 
			 Total 1,316.24 1,871.71 
			 (1) Previously formed from: Mental Health Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Learning Disability Development Fund Mental Capacity Act and Independent Mental Capacity Advocate Service Carers Adult Social Care Workforce LINKs (2) Previously formed from: Social Care Reform Learning Disability Campus Closure Programme Stroke Strategy (3) New 
		
	
	From 2011-12, the Department will be also allocating the Learning Disabilities and Health Reform grant to local authorities. This is a new grant, reflecting the transfer of commissioning responsibility for specialist services for people with learning disabilities from primary care trusts to local authorities. This grant will be worth £1,325.58 million in 2011-12.
	At the time of the spending review, the Department announced that capital grant funding for social care had been maintained in real terms for 2011-12, and would be allocated as a single funding stream. The capital grant will be worth £124 million in 2011-12.
	Details of the allocations for the Learning Disabilities and Health Reform grant, and the social care capital grant, are contained within Local Authority Social Services Letter LASSL(DH)(2010)2. A copy of this letter has been placed in the Library.
	Finally, the Department has made available £162 million for 2010-11 and £648 million for 2011-12 within the national health service in order to support social care and improve joint working between the two systems. Details about this funding have been set out in a letter from David Behan and David Flory to NHS and local authority chief executives, which can be found at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Lettersandcirculars/Dearcolleagueletters/DH_123460
	A copy of this letter has been placed in the Library.

Lorazepam

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the Gold File for Ativan tablets (refs: PL00011/0034R and PL00011/0036R).

Simon Burns: The term "Gold File" refers to old paper files with a yellow cover which were held for each medicine on the United Kingdom market by the Medicines Control Agency (succeeded in 2003 by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)). These files are no longer used and cannot be considered a comprehensive record of the regulatory history of these products. They contain correspondence about the particular product licences and documents associated with routine regulatory procedures.
	The marketing authorisation holder, not the MHRA, has a legal responsibility to retain all documents related to the product licence. Under MHRA record management policy, all files and data for licences are held for 15 years.
	Exceptionally, there are some older documents in archives which have not yet been destroyed. This includes the file of interest related to Ativan which covers the period from July 1981 to June 1993. To redact this large file to make it public would incur disproportionate cost.

Medical Records

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will bring forward proposals to allow NHS patients greater access to their health records.

Simon Burns: The ambition to give people greater access and control of their healthcare records was central to our consultation "Liberating the NHS: An Information Revolution".
	The responses (742) to the broader Information Revolution consultation have now been analysed and in spring we will set out the Government's response to the consultation, prior to publishing the Information Strategy for health and adult social care in England.

Mental Health Services: Nurses

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  where the 30 additional mental health nurses in mental health trusts announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review are to be deployed; and what the rationale is for the locations chosen for deployment;
	(2)  whether the 30 additional mental health nurses in mental health trusts announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review are to be recruited from outside the NHS;
	(3)  whether the 30 additional mental health nurses in mental health trusts announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review are to receive specialist training;
	(4)  at what grade the 30 additional mental health nurses in mental health trusts announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review are to be paid;
	(5)  to what standard the 30 additional mental health nurses in mental health trusts announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review are to be trained.

Simon Burns: The Government have made additional funds available from 2011-12 to allow the recruitment of 30 whole-time equivalent additional staff to better meet the mental health needs of veterans. There is now an armed forces network in each English region and these networks, working with the Department, will determine in detail how these additional staff are to be deployed.

NHS: Drugs

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what discussions he had with  (a) patient,  (b) clinical and  (c) industry representatives during the consultation period on his Department's proposals for introducing value-based pricing;
	(2)  what plans he has to consult with  (a) patient,  (b) clinical and  (c) industry representatives on the development of his Department's proposals for value-based-pricing following the close of the public consultation;
	(3)  what recent discussions he has had with the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence on its role in assessing new medicines under his value-based pricing proposals.

Simon Burns: Our public consultation "A new value-based approach to the pricing of branded medicines" set out our proposals for reforming the pricing system for new medicines. During the consultation period, we engaged with a range of partner organisations including patient, clinical and industry representatives and other interested parties including the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to highlight the consultation process.
	The consultation closed on 17 March 2011 and we are currently considering the responses, which will inform our work to plan future engagement processes. We intend to continue to work with patient, clinical and industry representatives and others who have an interest as our work to develop value-based pricing progresses.

NHS: Per Capita Costs

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level of spending on NHS services per head of population in the  (a) Bexley primary care trust area,  (b) NHS Greenwich area and  (c) NHS West Kent area was in the last three years for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: The amount spent per head of population in 2007-08 to 2009-10 by Bexley primary care trust (PCT), Greenwich Teaching PCT and West Kent PCT are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			  Organisation  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Bexley PCT 1,321 1,362 1,518 
			 Greenwich Teaching PCT 1,557 1,712 1,902 
			 West Kent PCT 1,256 1,362 1,476 
		
	
	The net operating cost figures used to calculate the spend per head are taken from the audited summarisation schedules of the PCTs for 2007-08 to 2009-10.

NHS: Theft

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will estimate the monetary value of medication which has gone missing or been stolen from NHS hospitals in each of the last three years;
	(2)  if he will estimate the monetary value of  (a) computer and  (b) other equipment which has gone missing or been stolen from NHS hospitals in each of the last three years.

Simon Burns: The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS received from prescription charges in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: The following table provides the revenue raised from prescription charges collected by pharmacists, appliance contractors and from prescription pre-payment certificate fees for each of the last five years in England. The figures exclude prescription charges collected by dispensing doctors and in hospitals, as this is not collected centrally.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2005-06 427 
			 2006-07 412 
			 2007-08 432 
			 2008-09 440 
			 2009-10 432 
			  Sources: Department of Health Resource Accounts 2009-10 and Accounts of the NHS Business Services Authority: 2009-10 Pharmaceutical Accounts (outturn figures)

Professor Malcolm Lader

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on which regulatory authorities sponsored by his Department Professor Malcolm Lader  (a) has served in the last 30 years and  (b) is serving; and on what date each such appointment (i) commenced and (ii) ended.

Simon Burns: The information requested would be available only at disproportionate cost.
	Professor Lader is currently Professor of Clinical Psychopharmacology at the Institute of Psychiatry, university of London and in the past has been a member of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs and the Committee on the Review of Medicines. Neither body is classed by the Department as a regulatory authority.

Radiotherapy

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  with reference to section 6.12 of his Department's publication, Improving outcomes: a strategy for cancer, January 2011, how much additional funding his Department expects to make available to maintain radiotherapy services in the next four years; and whether some of this additional funding can be used to install the South West CyberKnife in Plymouth Derriford Hospital;
	(2)  with reference to section 6.13 of his Department's publication, Improving outcomes: a strategy for cancer, January 2011, what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS patients have access to the most recent radiotherapy techniques comparable to those used in other European countries, including CyberKnife.

Paul Burstow: "Improving Outcomes: A Strategy for Cancer" sets out our commitment to expand radiotherapy capacity by investing around £150 million in additional funding over the next four years. This will increase the utilisation of existing equipment, establish services where patients currently have long distances to travel for treatment and ensure that all high priority patients with a need for proton beam therapy treatment get access to it abroad.
	Decisions to purchase high value equipment are made locally, and cases for procurement should take account of the available clinical evidence, potential demand and the costs of the different machines available that are capable of meeting the operational need. Cyberknife is a machine that delivers stereotactic body radiotherapy, and there are other machines on the market with similar capabilities.
	We recognise that ensuring patients have access to high quality modern radiotherapy techniques can deliver improved patient outcomes. We are investigating the potential development of a range of tariffs to incentivise high quality, cost-effective services, including the newest radiotherapy techniques.

Smoking

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate he has made of the number of  (a) males and  (b) females aged (i) nine to 12, (ii) 13 to 15 and (iii) 16 to 17 who regularly smoke (A) one to nine, (B) 10 to 19 and (C) 20 or more cigarettes per day; and what the equivalent figures were in (1) 1990, (2) 1995, (3) 1997 and (4) each year between 2001 and 2008.

Anne Milton: Information is not available in the format requested. We hold information for adults (aged 16 and over) and children (aged 11 to 15) but we do not hold information for children under 11.
	Table 3.3a of 'Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England in 2009' shows the percentage of pupils who were regular smokers aged 11 to 15 by gender for the period 1982 to 2000. Table 3.3b shows the same information for the period 2001-09. Table 3.6 shows mean and median number of cigarettes smoked in the last week, by sex and smoking status from 2003-09. The survey has already been placed in the Library. It is available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/sdd09fullreport
	Table 7 of the 'Health Survey for England-2009 trend tables', as follows, shows self-reported smoking status by survey year. Information is provided for adults (men and women) aged 16 and over in England for the years 1993 to 2009. This information for those aged 16 to 17 (part iii) is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. This information is available at:
	www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/hse09trends
	
		
			  Self-reported cigarette smoking status, by survey year and sex: Adults aged 16 and over -1993 to 2009 
			  Percentage 
			   Survey year 
			  Cigarette smoking status  1993  1994  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000 
			  Men 
			 Never regularly smoked cigarettes(2) 39 39 40 40 40 40 42 42 
			 Used to smoke cigarettes regularly 33 32 31 30 31 31 30 30 
			 Current smoker 28 28 29 30 29 28 27 28 
			  Cigarette smokers 
			 Under 10 cigarettes a day 7 7 7 7 7 7 8 7 
			 10 to under 20 cigarettes a day 10 11 10 11 11 11 10 10 
			 20 or more cigarettes a day 11 11 12 11 11 10 10 10 
			 Number smoked a day not known - - 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Median per current smoker per day 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 
			 Bases: 
			 All men 7,678 7,159 7,321 7,479 3,891 7,163 3,543 3,639 
			  
			  Women 
			 Never regularly smoked cigarettes(2) 52 51 52 52 52 52 52 56 
			 Used to smoke cigarettes regularly 22 22 21 21 21 21 21 19 
			 Current smoker 26 27 27 27 27 27 26 25 
			  Cigarette smokers 
			 Under 10 cigarettes a day 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 
			 10 to under 20 cigarettes a day 11 11 12 11 11 11 12 10 
			 20 or more cigarettes a day 8 7 7 8 8 8 7 7 
			 Number smoked a day not known 0 - 0 0 0 0 - - 
			 Median per current smoker per day 13 12 13 13 13 13 12 12 
			 Bases: 
			 All women 8,873 8,609 8,706 8,939 4,676 8,694 4,224 4,315 
			  
			  All adults 
			 Never regularly smoked cigarettes(2) 46 46 47 46 47 47 48 50 
			 Used to smoke cigarettes regularly 27 27 26 25 26 26 25 24 
			 Current smoker 27 27 28 29 28 28 27 26 
			  Cigarette smokers 
			 Under 10 cigarettes a day 7 8 7 8 8 7 8 7 
			 10 to under 20 cigarettes a day 10 11 11 11 11 11 11 10 
			 20 or more cigarettes a day 9 9 9 9 9 9 8 8 
			 Number smoked a day not known 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Median per current smoker per day 15 15 15 15 15 14 13 13 
			 Bases: 
			 All adults 16,551 15,768 16,027 16,418 8,567 15,857 7,767 7,954 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			   Survey year 
			  Cigarette smoking status  2001  2002  2003( 1)  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008  2009 
			  Men  
			 Never regularly smoked cigarettes(2) 43 44 45 47 45 49 48 49 49 
			 Used to smoke cigarettes regularly 31 29 28 29 28 27 28 27 27 
			 Current smoker 26 27 27 24 27 24 24 24 24 
			  Cigarette smokers  
			 Under 10 cigarettes a day 7 7 7 7 8 8 7 7 8 
			 10 to under 20 cigarettes a day 9 10 10 9 11 9 9 10 10 
			 20 or more cigarettes a day 9 10 9 7 8 7 7 7 6 
			 Number smoked a day not known 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Median per current smoker per day 15 15 14 13 13 13 13 13 11 
			 Bases:  
			 All men 6,919 3,303 7,148 3,225 3,659 6,791 3,339 7,256 2,314 
			   
			  Women  
			 Never regularly smoked cigarettes(2) 53 54 56 56 56 57 58 58 58 
			 Used to smoke cigarettes regularly 22 20 20 22 20 22 21 22 22 
			 Current smoker 25 26 24 23 24 21 21 20 20 
			  Cigarette smokers  
			 Under 10 cigarettes a day 8 8 7 7 8 8 7 7 7 
			 10 to under 20 cigarettes a day 10 11 10 10 9 9 9 9 9 
			 20 or more cigarettes a day 7 6 7 6 6 5 4 4 5 
			 Number smoked a day not known - - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Median per current smoker per day 12 11 13 12 11 11 11 11 11 
			 Bases:  
			 All women 8,642 4,056 7,599 3,416 3,899 7,258 3,513 7,626 2,425 
			   
			  All adults  
			 Never regularly smoked cigarettes(2) 48 50 51 51 51 53 53 54 53 
			 Used to smoke cigarettes regularly 26 24 24 25 24 24 25 25 24 
			 Current smoker 25 26 25 23 25 23 22 22 22 
			  Cigarette smokers  
			 Under 10 cigarettes a day 8 8 7 7 8 8 7 7 7 
			 10 to under 20 cigarettes a day 10 11 10 10 10 9 9 9 9 
			 20 or more cigarettes a day 8 8 8 7 7 6 6 5 6 
			 Number smoked a day not known 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Median per current smoker per day 13 13 13 13 12 12 12 11 11 
			 Bases:  
			 All adults 15,561 7,359 14,747 6,641 7,557 14,049 6,853 14,882 4,739 
			 (1) Data up to 2002 are unweighted; from 2003 onwards data have been weighted for non-response. (2) In the 1996 Health Survey Report, the 'Never regularly smoked cigarettes' category was split into 'Never smoked cigarettes' and 'Used to smoke cigarettes occasionally'. The data presented in the 1996 HSE report were calculated incorrectly, and therefore the categories are shown recombined in this table.  Source: The Health and Social Care Information Centre, Lifestyle Statistics

Surgery: Bolton

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many surgical operations were carried out in  (a) Bolton South East constituency and  (b) Bolton in each of the last three years.

Simon Burns: The information is not available in the format requested. The following table shows the number of finished consultant episodes for patients whose primary care trust (PCT) of residence is Bolton PCT.
	
		
			  Count of finished consultant episodes( 1)  with a named main procedure or intervention( 2)  where the PCT of residence( 3)  is 5HQ-Bolton PCT, for 2007-08 to 2009-10 
			  Activity in English national health service hospitals and English NHS commissioned activity in the independent sector 
			  Provider description  Provider code  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 Bolton PCT 5HQ 40,920 43,850 47,374 
			  Notes: 1.  Finished Consultant Episode (FCE) FCE is a continuous period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FCEs are counted against the year in which they end. Figures do not represent the number of different patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the same stay in hospital or in different stays in the same year. 2.  Main procedure The first recorded procedure or intervention in each episode, usually the most resource intensive procedure or intervention performed during the episode. It is appropriate to use main procedure when looking at admission details, (e.g. time waited), but a more complete count of episodes with a particular procedure is obtained by looking at the main and the secondary procedures. 3.  SHA/PCT of residence The strategic health authority (SHA) or PCT containing the patient's normal home address. This does not necessarily reflect where the patient was treated as they may have travelled to another SHA/PCT for treatment. 4.  Assessing growth through time Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. Changes to the figures over time need to be interpreted in the context of improvements in data quality and coverage (particularly in earlier years), improvements in coverage of independent sector activity (particularly from 2006-07) and changes in NHS practice. For example, apparent reductions in activity may be due to a number of procedures which may now be undertaken in out-patient settings and so no longer include in admitted patient HES data. 5.  Data quality HES are compiled from data sent by more than 300 NHS trusts and PCTs in England and from some independent sector organisations for activity commissioned by the English NHS. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The NHS Information Centre for health and social care

Venous Thromboembolism

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many NHS acute trusts presenting no data or a nil-return in his Department's mandatory Venous Thromboembolism risk assessment data collection have received payments as part of the CQUIN National Goal;
	(2)  how many primary care trust CQUIN schemes have agreed with providers that sampled non-UNIFY data is acceptable as evidence towards the achievement of the Venous Thromboembolism CQUIN National Goal;
	(3)  which NHS acute trusts have received CQUIN payments for meeting the Venous Thromboembolism National Goal to date;
	(4)  which NHS acute trusts have received CQUIN payments for meeting the Venous Thromboembolism National Goal to date.

Simon Burns: Assessing and rewarding achievement of both locally and nationally defined Commissioning for Quality and Innovation (CQUIN) goals is the responsibility of local commissioners as part of their contractual relationship with providers and the Department does not collect specific data on the achievement of CQUIN goals.
	The National CQUIN goal on Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) 2010-11 is to ensure that 90% of admitted patients are risk assessed for VTE over three consecutive months. The period over which commissioners will assess achievement during 2010-11 is a matter for local negotiation between commissioners and providers, although published guidance states that achievement of the 90% must be over at least a full quarter to earn the related CQUIN payment. We understand that many providers are aiming to achieve the goal during the last quarter of 2010-11.

Venous Thromboembolism

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what reasons were given by  (a) Derbyshire county,  (b) Dorset,  (c) Leicestershire county and Rutland,  (d) Newham,  (e) North East Essex,  (f) Portsmouth City Teaching,  (g) Sandwell,  (h) Somerset,  (i) South Birmingham,  (j) South Staffordshire,  (k) Tower Hamlets,  (l) Walsall Teaching and  (m) Worcestershire primary care trusts for not complying with the requirements of his Department's mandatory Venous Thromboembolism risk assessment data collection; and what steps he is taking to rectify this non-compliance;
	(2)  what reasons were given by  (a) Milton Keynes hospital,  (b) Oxford Radcliffe hospitals,  (c) South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare and  (d) University college London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trusts for not complying with the requirements of his Department's mandatory Venous Thromboembolism risk assessment data collection; and what steps he is taking to rectify this non-compliance.

Simon Burns: The Department publishes the venous thromboembolism (VTE) risk assessment data on a quarterly basis and the final data for 20010-11 is due to be published on 3 June 2011. Commissioners are able to access provider level data through UNIFY2 for management and audit purposes but the Department does not have plans to identify specific reasons for non-compliance or to rectify any non-compliance.
	The data are published on the Department's website and if any trusts are not submitting data this will be transparent to commissioners, trusts and the public. It is for individual trusts to account for why they have been unable to provide on VTE risk assessment.